Indomitable Spirit
by CracktheSkye
Summary: Six years ago, Ash Ketchum died. Now, during the tournament of Celebi, a mysterious figure appears. Who is he and what is his connection to Ash? Dark plots are stirring, and soon all will collide in a fight for the fate of world. Pokeshipping.
1. Prelude: Stop n Start

Indomitable Spirit

Disclaimer: Crack the Skye does not own Pokémon, FMA, nor does he own any other franchise, series, or movie he may reference in the story. He does, however, own a real katana, which will be used with force against any lawyers who believe otherwise.

Prelude- Stop n'Start

Theme: Again by YUI {FMA Brotherhood opening theme 1}

Mt. Coronet, Sinnoh Region, 9:00 PM

"HAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Cyrus madly, as he stood in front of the machine that held Dialga and Palkia captive. "Finally, my plan is complete! Now, I shall remold the world in my image!"

A short distance away, Ash, Brock, Misty, May, Max, Dawn, Gary, and Cynthia struggled against the energy bindings they had been placed in. Their Pokémon hadn't stood a chance against the forces of Dialga and Palkia, whose energies were being drained by the machine and used as a weapon. Pikachu and the others were trapped within a container that nullified their attacks, rendering them helpless.

"We can't let the machine finish powering up!" exclaimed Cynthia, "If it does, it means the end of all life as we know it!"

"How? We can't even move enough to throw rocks at it!" snarled Gary.

The trainers fought against the restraints with renewed vigor, but bindings refused to even loosen slightly. Meanwhile, the machine began to hum loudly, and Dialga and Palkia screeched in pain as their energy began collecting within a sphere at the heart of the machine. Team Galactic was going to succeed and none of them could do anything about it.

Max began to cry. "M-May...I'm scared. I d-d-don't want to die!"

'No!' thought Ash desperately, 'If this happens, everyone will…!' With all his soul, Ash pushed against his bindings, until…

_**SNAP**_

In a flash of brilliant blue, Ash's bindings shattered, leaving Ash standing defiantly, wisps of blue energy drifting off his body, and eyes glowing the same blue color. Needless to say, his friends were astonished, staring with open mouths at the young trainer.

"**CYRUS!"** screamed Ash, his voice now oddly deeper, as he charged at the blue-haired leader, who turned at the sound of the familiar-but-different voice.

Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, seeing the boy, moved to block his path, reaching towards their Pokéballs. Yet before they could even get the balls off their belt, Ash flashed past them as if they weren't even there. Cyrus, finally realizing what was happening, turned toward the boy, preparing to draw a Pokéball.

"Go, Croba-UGH!"

But before the words left his mouth, Ash slammed into him, knocking the crazed man to the side, losing his hat in the process, and continuing toward the machine, the energy around his body growing to almost blinding. As he reached the machine, the trainer drew back his right fist, and thrust it into the machine with a wordless yell.

"!"

The machine disintegrated before the force of the blow, freeing Palkia, Dialga, and the other trainers. The glowing blue around Ash faded as the boy seemed to come back to himself. He stared at his hands in shock, wondering, as everyone else was, just what had happened. Everyone stood silently for a few seconds, until a loud crack drew everyone's attention to the sphere that held Dialga and Palkia's energies. It shuddered, cracked again, shuddered, and in a horrible parody of an egg hatching, broke open. A blinding white beam lanced upward into the heavens, the full manifestation of the devastating power of time and space. Caught right next to the orb, Ash didn't even have time to scream. The light swallowed him whole before the horrified eyes of his companions.

When the light finally died, nothing was left where Ash had been standing. He was gone.

"PIKA-PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

"AAAAASH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The two screams may have been in different languages, but neither could convey the sheer anguish that pierced the through the very souls of the yellow Pokémon and the redheaded gym leader at that moment. They wept and screamed, but nothing they did could hide them from the bitter truth.

Ash Ketchum was dead.

Somewhere and Nowhere

**It is not yet this one's time. He still has much to do before his destiny is fulfilled. **

The voice was full of power, power beyond mortal comprehension. A human could not even hope to hear this divine voice.

**A second chance shall be granted to him. He has proven himself worthy. Do the scales find the exchange acceptable?**

**They do.**

The second voice was powerful as well, but paled in comparison to the first. If the first voice was the radiating sun, the second voice was the dark side of the moon. Darker than the deepest night, but carrying no malice within it.

**Then so be it.**

Somewhere, a great bell rang.

-6 years later-

Unknown Location

"Interesting," mused the old man, reading through his newspaper, "It seems that this year is the year for the Tournament of Celebi. According to the newspaper, this year may be even greater than the last Tournament, fifty years ago."

"Is that so?" replied the young man on the other side of the table "Where is it?"

"Two weeks from now at Sennichi no Shima (island of ten thousand days). Apparently nearly all the Champions, Elite Four members, and gym leaders, as well as the world's foremost trainers, plan to compete."

The younger man mused to himself for a minute, and then suddenly stood up. "Sensei!"

"Yes, young one?"

A vein popped in the young man's forehead.

"Gah! Old fart! How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

The old man's eyes twinkled mischieviously. "Call you what, young one? Have I insulted you in some way?"

"Yes! How many times do I have to tell you not to call me young one? I'm not a child!"

"You say that, but your actions say otherwise."

"Che, stupid old fart." The boy looked away, sulking.

"What is it you wished to ask me young one?"

The young man took a steadying breath. "Sensei, I want to go join the tournament!"

The older man raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Perceiving the elder man's silence as disapproval, the boy's speech became rushed. "It may be rash, but this may be the best chance I have to find out who I was! Please, sensei!" he begged, sinking into a full bow, touching his forehead to the floor.

"No more of that," chided the old man, as the boy rose back up to stare at him. "If you truly wish to go, I will not stop you. You have been the best student I have ever taught. There is no more you can learn from me. Go and pack. If you wish to reach Sennichi no Shima within two weeks you must leave today."

The young man's eyes brightened. "Arigato, Sensei!" he shouted as he dashed to his room, leaving the older man behind to chuckle at his apprentice's antics. Abrubtly, the chuckle died in his throat, and his eyes stared off into nothingness as he remembered the first day he met the child.

-_Alakazam used Flashback!-_

_The old man had been walking in the woods, gathering berries for dinner. The forest was peaceful, full of the sounds of Pokémon. The old man had just found a bush of Oran Berries when there was a curious tearing sound, as if the largest sheet of paper in the world had been ripped in half. Alarmed, the man rushed toward where the sound had originated from. In the middle of a clearing lay a young, black-haired boy, unconcious. Surrounding him was a circle of dead grass, trees, even Pokémon. The only living thing withing the circle seemed to be the young boy himself. The older man rushed toward the prone figure, turning him over. The boy's eyes feebly flickered open. _

_"Wh-who are you?"_

_"A friend, young one."_

_The boy relaxed, then his eyes closed again._

_The man picked him up, taking him back to the cottage. As he left the clearing, he heard a voice whisper to him._

_'Second chances are not given to everyone, Teacher. Cherish this opportunity' The words sent a chill down the man's spine as memories of a time long past rushed forward._

_Two days later, the young man woke up. Once he had been fed, the old man decided it was time for questions._

_"Tell me, young one; how did you come to be laying in that clearing?"_

_The boy frowned, his forehead scrunching in thought._

_"I don't know."_

_"Do you have a name, young one?"_

_The young man froze, his eyes widening. He looked at the older man, terror clearly visible in his brown eyes._

_"I-I don't...remember."_

_-Reader woke up!- _

Remembering the words of the strange voice, the man had offered to teach the young boy in his arts, had offered him a home, and a name. The boy had accepted with barely a second thought.

The old man sighed as the memory faded, to be replaced by the memories of his previous student.

'It was all my fault.'

An hour later, the boy was sitting atop his Charizard outside the cottage. He turned at the sound of the door opening to see his sensei coming out.

"Before you go my son, I have one last present to give you." The old man held out his hand, and the boy stared at the pendant in the old man's hand. It was a brilliantly blue, scintillating crystal, strung on a simple black leather band. The apprentice placed it around his neck, looking at the older man with tears in his eyes.

"Sensei, I…"

"No more words, child. Good luck on your journey. Remember, with the power of Aura, nothing is beyond your reach. Now go!"

The boy nodded, and patted his Pokémon on the neck.

"Ikuzo, girl!"(let's go)

The Charizard roared, and in a great rush of air, shot off the cliff. As the boy soared off into the blue, he turned and looked back at the old man standing on the cliff.

"Arigatōgozaimasu Aaron-sensei!" (Thank you very much)

The old man chuckled, raising a hand in farewell.

"Good luck, Satoshi."

Many miles away, boat to Sennichi no Shima

"I can't believe we're on our way to the tournament of Celebi!"

Max was excited, and for good reason. Only the best trainers were invited to the tournament of Celebi, and a week ago, _he, Max Maple_, had received a formal invitation to attend.

With Max were his sister and Dawn. The two coordinators had been traveling through May's native Hoenn region when Max had called them with the news of his invitation. They, in turn, had contacted Brock in Kanto, where he had been studying under a Master Pokémon breeder. Brock had received permission from his teacher to go to the tournament and support his friend.

"I'm definitely going to win this thing!" shouted Max at the top of his lungs.

"I don't think so, Max. _I'm_ going to win." replied a familiar voice.

"Pi! Pikachupi chu ka pi pikachu!"

Everyone turned around to see Misty walking towards them. She wore a white jacket left open, revealing a tight white shirt and light blue knee-length pants. On her shoulder rode a familiar yellow pokemon, wearing a red Pokémon League cap.

"Misty! You came! We didn't think you would ever leave Mt. Silver!"

"And miss the biggest tournament in 50 years? Not for all the Rare Candies in the world!"

Ever since Ash's death, Misty had sequestered herself deep within Mt. Silver, training a new, stronger team. She had bullied her sisters to take over the Cerulean Gym, and registered as a League Trainer again. Pikachu and she had become inseperable, never spending more than 5 minutes away from each other. She claimed it was because she didn't want to lose the strongest member of her new team, but almost eveyone saw right through her facade. Pikachu and the hat he now wore were her only tangible mementos of Ash.

Ash.

Ash's name had become almost taboo among the group. On the rare occasion that there was no choice but to use it, it was spoken softly, almost reverently, holding depths of emotion that few others could understand. If anyone even hinted at insulting Ash within earshot of the group, they would fly into a rage. He had left an indelible mark on their lives.

"Are you competing too, Misty?"

"Of course! I got the invitation just before your message arrived. By the way Max, congratulations on getting your 8th Johto badge. Clair said it was one of the best battle she had in a long time."

Max blushed. "Sh-she said that?"

It was a badly-kept secret that Max had a huge crush on the Dragon Gym Leader.

"Yep. She also said that you need to work your Sceptile much harder, or he'll be useless in a Champion-level match. His resistance to fire attacks is appalling."

Everyone sweatdropped as Max crouched in a corner, muttering to himself, the words 'useless' and 'appalling' hovering above his head in black and white.

"Are any of you competing besides Max?" inquired Misty.

"No, we just came to cheer him on," answered Dawn, "Well, that, and May and I heard that the stores at the tournament are beyond your wildest dreams!" Both coordinators went starry eyed a the thought.

Misty sighed. "Should have seen this one coming."

"Pikaaa." The electric rodent agreed

The orange-trainer stared out over the water, as she thought fondly of the missing member of their group.

'I'll make you proud, Ash. Pikachu and I will win this tournament for you. Just watch.'

Hidden Laboratory

"As you can see sir, version 9.2 surpasses any previous model by a huge amount. The project is fully ready for deployment."

"Excellent. Does it have the capacity to withstand the target's attacks?"

"Oh, most definitely sir."

The man smirked. At long last, his plans were coming to fruition. Soon, he would have enough power to realize his desire.

'I will bring you back. I shall rule the world with you and her by my side.'

"Prepare this for transport. We depart for Sennichi no Shima in three days.

"Yes, sir"

Giovanni smiled to himself as he departed the lab, stroking his Persian.

'Soon...'

Author's Notes

*Bows* Hello everyone. I'm Crack the Skye, and this is my first fanfic. Please treat it kindly. I will do my best to finish the story, and I've got some ideas in my head, but life is going to get busy for me in the next six months, so please be patient. Yes, I'm a fan of Japanese, and that will show in my stories, so I hope I don't inconvenience anybody. Please review and let me know how it is. Constructive criticism is welcomed. If you have questions, please feel free to ask.

Flamers will be met with the wrath of Blastoise.

Ja ne!


	2. Movement One: Ignite the Battle Fires

Indomitable Spirit

Disclaimer: Crack the Skye does not own Pokémon, Bleach, Naruto, nor does he own any other franchise, series, or movie he may reference in the story. He does, however, own a real katana, which will be used with force against any lawyers who believe otherwise.

Track 01: Ignition of Battle

Opening Theme: Le Repos du Guerrier {Code Geass R2 OST}

Hirumanai's Theme: Zero by Keiki Kobayashi {Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War}

Yugana's Theme: Kiss the Rain by Yiruma

Misty's Theme: Wing Stock by Ashley MacIsaac {Rukia's theme from Bleach}

Satoshi's Theme: Again by Yui

-Above the Ocean-

"Sennichi no Shima's name came from an ancient legend. As the story goes, the island had been devastated by a war, and nothing would grow on it. The people of the island that had survived the war were slowly dying.

The people's leader, who could not bear to see them suffer so, built a shrine to Celebi, and began to pray to the Legendary Pokémon for aid. Day after day, he knelt before the shrine, pleading for aid. For ten thousand days, he would pray without fail. On the ten thousandth day, Celebi heard his prayers, the outpouring of his soul, and took pity on the man and his people. Celebi appeared before the man, blessing the island with renewed life.

Overjoyed, the man promised to devote himself to the preservation of all life, so that none would ever suffer the same fate as his people. Even more impressed with the purity and faithfulness of the man, Celebi gifted him with the ability to channel the power of the world around him, so that the man would have the power to fulfill his promise. This man became known as the first Aura Guardian.

In honor of Celebi, the people of the island created the Tournament of Celebi, a festival that occurs once every 50 years. It is said that the winner of this tournament may make one request of Celebi at the shrine. If it is pure, Celebi may grant the request." read Satoshi, "Hm. Do you think Celebi could help me regain my memories?"

His Charizard made a noncommittal grunt.

"True, I guess it doesn't really matter unless I win. Do you think we can win this, girl?"

The young trainer received a defiant roar in response. He smiled in appreciation.

"Thanks."

Spotting something in the distance, Satoshi sat up.

"There it is!"

-Sennichi no Shima, Pokémon Center-

"Finally! That line took forever!"

Max and Misty had just finished registering for the tournament, and were waiting for Brock to come back with the group's room keys. May and Dawn had already left the group, out on their first shopping trip.

"Do you think there'll be any really good trainers here Misty?" inquired Max.

"Oh, I hope so. If it's just the Pokémon League members then this tournament will be boring. I heard Gary's competing, and maybe also-"

Misty never got to finish her statement, as the doors of the Pokémon Center opened, admitting a single figure. At the same moment, a feeling of intense pressure exploded down on everyone. It was like being crushed beneath the foot of a giant. Misty found that she was having difficulty time breathing. Struggling to keep her head up, she looked more closely at the figure.

He could have been described as a symphony in black: black combat boots, black pants, a black shirt, and a black cloak with a deep hood that hid his entire face with the exception of his mouth. No one spoke as the figure smoothly walked up to the registration desk – not that they could have.

"I'd like to register for the tournament, please."

His voice was calm and polite, pleasing to the ears. Even so, it sent chills down everyone's spines.

"Y-Yes s-sir. A-And…wh-wh-what name d-do you wish t-t-to r-regis-te-ter under?" Asked a trembling Nurse Joy.

"Satoshi."

"A-and your last n-name?"

The tone of the now-named Satoshi darkened ever so slightly. "None."

"S-Sumimasen (I'm sorry). Here is y-your f-first round s-s-schedule."

The man took the schedule, nodded a silent thanks to the woman, turned, and walked out.

The pressure immediately dissipated, and everyone found they could breathe again.

"Wh-Who the hell was that?" Max gasped out, still on his hands and knees.

"I don't know," responded Misty, staring after the disappearing figure, "But I do know this; whoever he is, he is strong."

-Outside the Pokémon Center-

Satoshi smirked as he walked away.

'That certainly gained everyone's attention. Let's see…Oho! I have the first match of the tournament against…Fukuda Hiroshi…and he uses ground and fire types. Perfect types to show off against…_And_ according to the guide, he personally trained under Flint of the Elite Four. It certainly will be an interesting match…'

The next day

Stadium, 9:00 AM

"WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE 54TH TOURNAMENT OF CELEBI!"

The stadium was packed, and not just because it was the first day. After Satoshi's extremely dramatic registration, everyone from child to Champion wanted to see how strong this mysterious trainer was.

"Why are _we _here again?" yawned May, "I mean, I'm curious about Satoshi too, but I wanted to get more sleep."

"You might have gotten more sleep if you hadn't stayed up until midnight trying to decide what new stores to shop at today," deadpanned Brock.

"We're here to see how this guy fights. We need to know all we can. Having more eyes helps with that," Max answered.

"Satoshi didn't register what types he prefers to fight with, or his region of origin, or his teachers. He's the tournament's dark Horsea," added Misty.

"AND NOW FOR OUR FIRST MATCH! ON ONE SIDE WE HAVE THE SECOND COMING OF THE KING OF FIRE, STUDENT OF FLINT HIMSELF, FUKUUUDAAAAAA HIIIIROOOOSHIIIIIIII!"

The crowd erupted into screams of applause as the black-haired, heavily-muscled trainer stepped onto the field. He smiled and waved to the crowd, soaking in the applause.

"AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE THE MYSTERIOUS NEWCOMER, THE TRAINER OF UNKNOWN STRENGTH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GIVE IT UP FOR SAATOOOOOOOSHIIIIIIIIIIII!"

The applause was deafening as the dark trainer marched onto the field, cloak swaying softly in the wind. In contrast to his opponent, he seemed to ignore the crowds.

"TRAINERS READY! THE MATCH TYPE WILL BE ONE ON ONE, THE BATTLEFIELD WILL BE GROUND-TYPE!"

Abruptly, the field blinked, and then shifted to a dusty, dry setting, interspersed with rocks.

"BEGIN!"

The crowd fell silent, waiting for someone to make a move.

"Burn the house down, Infernape!"

Hiroshi broke the deadlock, hurling out his pokéball, releasing the fire ape.

"AND HIROSHI STARTS OFF WITH HIS STRONGEST POKEMON! SATOSHI COULD BE IN TROUBLE IF HE DOESN'T HAVE A COUNTER!"

Satoshi chuckled quietly to himself as he looked at his opponent.

"Perfect…"

Satoshi held up his pokéball. He paused, and then hurled it forward.

"Sengen (Declare), Hirumanai!"

The light from the release dimmed, revealing a Lucario kneeling down on one knee.

Up in the stands, confusion reigned.

"Does he want to lose? Lucario has weaknesses to fire, fighting, and ground, and Infernape knows all three types!"

Hiroshi laughed.

"A Lucario? You just sealed your own fate, you fool!"

Satoshi said nothing. He just waited for Hiroshi to make the first move.

"Fine! If you want to give up that easily, I'll take the victory! Infernape, use Fire Spin!

"InferNAPE!"

A vortex of flames exploded around Lucario, shielding him from view.

"Now quick, increase the flames with Heat Wave!"

The flames roared higher. Even the spectators in the nosebleeds could feel the heat now.

"Satoshi isn't doing anything! Is he trying to lose?"

Max was beside himself.

"It might not be that he isn't doing anything; he can't do anything! This is Hiroshi's best combo attack, not even Flint was able to avoid it!" answered Misty.

"Infernape, knock him down with Earthquake!"

Infernape slammed a fist into the ground, setting off massive tremors. Satoshi still did not react to the series of super-effective moves, barely shifting with the trembling earth, just enough to maintain his balance.

"Now, Infernape, finish him off! BLAST BURN!"

"INFERNAAAAAAAPE!"

The vortex was consumed by an almighty blast of flame. The heat and light were so intense the audience had to shield their faces from the inferno. When the light finally died, everyone turned back to the match, straining to see what had become of Lucario through the smoke.

"HAHA! That's what you get for underestimating me! No one can withstand that attack! This match is over! See, your Lucario didn't – wha?" Hiroshi broke off, surprise clearly visible on his face.

The smoke had cleared, but one thing was missing from the glassed-over crater: Lucario.

Hiroshi looked frantically around, trying to find the missing pokémon. He could see nothing. Then…

"LOOK, UP THERE!" someone screamed.

Hiroshi looked up, and his eyes widened in shock.

Lucario was standing, perfectly unharmed, _on thin air_.

"Impossible…" breathed Max.

"No…Lucario must have used Protect and Magnet Rise," corrected Brock, "But I have never seen a pokémon reach such heights using Magnet Rise! Even the strongest electric pokémon only make it a few feet off the ground…and for Protect to stop a blast of that magnitude…That Lucario is impossibly strong!"

Hiroshi was snapped out of his momentary shock by Satoshi's voice.

"Such an interesting attack. To take advantage of Hirumanai's weaknesses and prevent his movements…you truly do deserve to be Flint's apprentice. But now…let's end this." The trainer fell silent, cocking his head as if he was listening to something, then smiled and nodded.

The Lucario floated down until he was just inches off the ground – and disappeared.

'Extremespeed' thought Misty.

Both Hiroshi and Infernape tensed as they waited for the inevitable attack.

"Infernape! Behind you!"

Infernape turned to see Lucario, crouched low, all four paws and its tail glowing.

"Infernape! He's going to use Close Combat! Take him on!"

The fire ape's fists glowed, and the two pokémon met. Even the Fighting Gym Leaders had a hard time following the combatants.

Infernape swung at Lucario, who ducked and tried to sweep Infernape's legs. Infernape leapt over the scything leg and came down in a hammer fist strike on Lucario, but Lucario grabbed the attack with its hands, and flipped Infernape over onto its back, then flipped away to gain distance. Infernape got up and dashed back at Lucario, and the two met again.

Maylene, who was in a box with the other gym leaders, released her own Lucario, as did Cynthia.

"You guys need to check this out," said Maylene, not taking her eyes off the battle.

Meanwhile, down in the ring, Hiroshi abruptly realized that he wasn't supposed to be spectating.

"Infernape, use Fire Punch!"

Satoshi sighed, sounding disappointed.

"Over so quickly? Hirumanai! Dodge and finish it with Aura Rendan (Barrage)!"

Infernape's fist sped in, blazing red and orange. Just as it reached Lucario, however, the Aura pokémon casually batted the arm aside, and stepped inside Infernape's guard.

What followed could have only been described as absolutely brutal.

Lucario slammed rapid glowing blue fists into Infernape's torso, followed with a series of crane strikes, elbows, and backfists. The Aura pokémon then spun into a fierce back kick that knocked Infernape backward several meters. While Infernape stood there, dazed, Lucario's image flickered and disappeared again, only to reappear crouched directly in front of the still-reeling ape.

After a brief pause, Lucario shot upwards, blasting Infernape upward into the air with a savage open palm strike to the jaw. As Infernape rose into the air, Lucario followed, knocking the ape even higher with vicious Aura-boosted kicks. Once Infernape had reached the apex of its flight, Lucario tucked into a rapid somersault above it, coming out of the somersault in a screamingly fast axe kick that struck the fire ape square in stomach. The force of the kick propelled Infernape down into the ground with earth-shattering impact, eliciting gasps from the audience.

Still in the air, Lucario gathered Aura between his paws, forming an aura sphere almost half a meter wide, then released the attack downward, directly toward the pulverized fire ape.

KA-THOOOOM!

The resultant blast shook the entire stadium, even more than Infernape's Earthquake had.

While the dust settled, Lucario gently floated downward, touching the ground just in front of his trainer.

When the dust from the attack finally cleared, Infernape was revealed, laying in a crater nearly 30 meters wide and 10 meters deep, out cold.

Silence reigned for a full minute until the MC found his voice.

"INFERNAPE IS UNABLE TO BATTLE. THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH IS SATOSHI!"

Satoshi smiled, and held out his pokéball. "Great job Hirumanai. Take a good rest."

The dark trainer returned his Lucario, then turned and offered a respectful bow to Hiroshi.

"Arigatō, Fukuda-san. It was a wonderful match. I wish it would have lasted longer."

And with that, Satoshi swept out of the arena, leaving an awestruck crowd in his wake.

-In the League Box-

"Lemme go! Lemme go! I want to go see Satoshi-san! I want to learn how to do that! Cynthia! Lemme go!"

Maylene was in full fangirl mode, as Cynthia and Clair struggled to hold back the young Fighting Gym Leader.

"Maylene, if we let you go, you'll be arrested for sexually assaulting Satoshi!"

"WILL NOT! I HAVE NOTHING BUT RESPECT FOR SATOSHI-KUN!"

Realizing what she had just said, Maylene abruptly fell silent as a blush appeared on her cheeks that made a Charizard's tail flame look dim in comparison.

Cynthia looked at her cautiously.

"Are you done?"

"Mmmm-hmmmmmmm."

The older women let go of the pinkette, only for her to make a dash for the door.

"I'M COMING, SATOSHI-KUN!"

"Alakazam, use Hypnosis!"

Maylene fell to the floor as Sabrina returned her pokémon, an air of satisfaction emanating from the Psychic Leader.

"But seriously, Satoshi has some frighteningly strong pokémon if his Lucario is any indication. That finishing move – I've never seen anything like it," Cynthia mused out loud, "I actually think I learned something from that battle."

"Um….m-maybe we…c-can ask S-Satoshi wh-where…he learned…that move," suggested Jasmine, a heavy blush on her face.

"Okay! It's decided!" shouted Whitney, "The first one to talk to Satoshi-kun and ask him where he learned that move wins!"

"Wins what?" queried Clair hesitantly.

"A chance at Satoshi-kun!" responded the Normal-type Leader with a grin.

Almost all the other women in the room nodded, then dashed out the door, including Maylene, who had somehow recovered from Hypnosis. The only female Leaders left in the box were Sabrina, Clair, and Candice, along with Cynthia and Bertha.

"Did that…just become a competition…between _Gym Leaders_…over a boy?" asked Flint, speaking for all the male Leaders in the box.

"Yes," deadpanned Sabrina, "Yes it did."

Everyone present sweatdropped.

-Meanwhile, with Max and Company-

"Did you guys see that? Satoshi didn't even look like he was trying!" gushed Max, who couldn't stop talking about his new idol.

"For the fourteenth time Max, yes! We saw the match! We were there too, you know!" snapped May, getting slightly irritated with her younger brother now.

"Max does have a point though," Brock interjected, coming to the young trainer's defense, "Did anyone else notice something odd about what Satoshi did?"

Dawn thought for a moment, then her eyes widened.

"No commands…" she breathed.

"Exactly!" agreed Brock, "Except for the finishing move, Satoshi didn't speak a single direct command to his pokémon! Misty, you're probably the best trainer here, is such a thing even possible? Misty?"

Brock turned to see why the ex-Gym Leader wasn't responding, but to his surprise, she wasn't there.

-With Misty-

'Just where is this guy going?' wondered Misty, as she followed Satoshi through the streets outside the stadium.

She, like Brock, had immediately noticed Satoshi's lack of commands. She had never, ever, seen a Trainer and pokémon able to do that, with the sole exception of Sabrina, who was the most powerful Psychic in the world. Misty herself had actually tried to develop Psychic abilities during her tenure at Mt. Silver. According to Sabrina, everyone possessed latent psychic abilities to some extent. However, even after five years of meditation, Misty had only gained mild ability for empathy – and Sabrina said that she had huge psychic potential! Where did Satoshi –

Misty abruptly broke out of her thoughts as she realized she had somehow tailed Satoshi to a secluded portion of town. Noticing that she could be easily discovered, the orange-haired teen jumped behind trash cans in an alley. Before she could wonder what the dark trainer was doing, he spoke.

"I know you're there, I felt you following me all the way from the arena. No use hiding now!"

Misty jumped, sure she had been discovered, only for another female voice to break out into laughter.

"Ohohoho! So you noticed us, did you? As expected of such a strong trainer, Satoshi-san!"

Two figures jumped down from one of the rooftops, revealing themselves to be a boy and girl, twins by their appearance, in Team Rocket uniforms. Both were rather average looking, with the exception of their hair, which was orange. The two looked to be about sixteen or seventeen.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," continued the girl, "I'm Bonnie."

"And I'm Clyde," finished the boy, "We represent the Rocket Organization. Our boss was very interested in your performance during your match. He sent us to make an exclusive one-time offer: Join Team Rocket. A trainer of your strength would rise extremely quickly in the ranks. Think of it! You can have everything you ever wanted! Money, power, strong pokémon, women! Everything!"

"So, you'll say yes, right?" said Bonnie, the barest hint of a blush showing on her face.

Satoshi didn't respond. Apparently, to Bonnie, silence meant 'Yes'.

"Excellent, I will inform the boss that you wish to –"

"No thank you," came Satoshi's ever-so-polite refusal.

"W-what?" asked a baffled Bonnie.

"I said no thank you, Bonnie-san. I appreciate the offer, but I do not wish to associate myself with Team Rocket, especially considering the business you are involved in. Now if you will excuse me, I have places to be…"

Clyde let out a sigh. "Our orders are to bring you in, regardless of whether you want to come peacefully or not! Go, Honchkrow!"

Bonnie seemed to get over her shock at Satoshi's response, hurling her own ball. "Show 'em what you got, Gengar!"

The shadow pokémon joined the big boss pokémon, both of them ready to battle.

"Honchkrow, use Dark Pulse!"

"Gengar, Shadow Ball!"

Both pokémon fired their attacks, but just before the attack reached Satoshi, the dark trainer flickered, and then, just like his Lucario, disappeared.

Everyone watching blinked in surprise, mouths dropping open.

'Extremespeed…? But he's not a pokémon!' Misty wondered, before noticing something.

Instead of hitting Satoshi, the two attacks continued…directly toward her hiding place.

CRASH!

"Waaah!" cried Misty as her cover was blasted away.

Bonnie and Clyde turned to look at the redhead, surprise evident on their faces.

"Who's this?" asked Bonnie, wondering how someone with such bright hair could have escaped her notice.

"It doesn't matter," answered Clyde, "She probably heard the whole conversation. We can't risk our cover being blown. Honchkrow, use Mean Look!"

Misty cursed as she found herself unable to run. She hadn't thought to bring any pokémon other than Pikachu with her, and these two trainers' pokémon were clearly very strong. Quick as a flash, though, Pikachu leapt off her shoulder, placing himself between his trainer and the enemy. Steeling herself for a nasty fight, Misty opened her mouth to command Pikachu into battle, but Bonnie interrupted her.

"I don't think so! Gengar, use Lick!"

The purple pokémon shot forward, giving Misty one fast lick on the face. Instantly, Misty felt her muscles lock up, including her mouth. She struggled to get her disobedient body to move, but she remained immobile as Bonnie and Clyde moved in to finish her off.

The trainers and their pokémon were so focused on each other that they failed to notice the observer balanced lightly on a nearby telephone pole.

'Oh dear,' thought Satoshi, 'It seems that the third person following me got dragged into this. I should probably help out…'

His thoughts trailed off as he noticed the small electric mouse between the redheaded trainer and the two Rocket members. On its head was perched a red Pokémon League cap.

A flash of recognition shot through Satoshi, and he shouted out the command without thinking.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

At the sound of the familiar voice, Pikachu instinctively unleashed a torrent of electricity, which struck the two criminals and their pokémon, propelling all four of them into the sky in a familiar manner.

-Entering LEO (Low Earth Orbit)-

"Clyde-niisan (brother)?"

"Yes Bonnie-neesan (sister)?"

"Are we…Blasting Off™?"

"I think so."

"…Well, crap."

"I couldn't agree more."

-Back on Terra Firma-

Pikachu and Misty both stared at each other, wide- eyed.

"Y-you heard it too, right?" asked Misty, sure she had gone crazy.

Pikachu nodded his head firmly.

"Ash…?"

"Pikapi."

The trainer and pokémon both looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of something, anything, that could have summoned such a voice. But there was nothing.

Satoshi bounded away, leaving the strange scene behind.

'What was that? I saw the Pikachu, and the hat, and just instinctively shouted out the command…I must meditate on this,' he decided, continuing his flight.

The redhead groaned as control of her muscles returned. While she sat there waiting for the paralysis to wear off, she pondered the mystery that was Satoshi.

'He posseses extremely strong pokemon, he seems to have some sort of psychic ability, he seems to be able to generate some sort of invisible pressure on those around him, and he is as fast as a pokemon using Extremespeed. Just who are you, Satoshi?'

Finally, Misty stood up. Motioning for Pikachu,who scampered up onto her shoulder, she went to find Sabrina. If anyone could determine whether or not Satoshi had psychic abilities, it would be the psychic Leader.

-Woods Outside Town-

Satoshi sighed as he sat with his back against a tree on the edge of the clearing he had chosen as his camp. It had been an interesting day, to say the least. Reaching down to his belt, he pressed the release buttons on the four occupied pokeballs sitting there. Four bright flashes of light later, and his four pokemon stood in front of him.

"Okay guys, go relax. Hiru, do you mind staying with me? I need to speak with you about something."

**Not at all, Master.**

The Lucario's calm mental voice radiated through the clearing. Much like his trainer's voice, the Aura pokemon's manner of speaking was polite, but held an undercurrent of power.

Satoshi gestured to the ground next to him. Taking the hint, the pokemon sat down, leaning his back against the tree. Hirumanai had been Satoshi's first pokemon. He had hatched from an egg that Satoshi had found in the woods. The two had grown strong together, and they shared a bond that few others could understand. It was across this bond that Satoshi recounted the events that had transpired in the town.

**Very interesting. The only explanation I can think of is that the Pikachu and the hat must have had a significant role in your previous life.**

'I think so too, but how should I act on this?'

**I would say you should befriend this trainer and her pokemon. If she possesses the pokemon that you knew in your previous life, she might know something about your previous life as well. Maybe you can recover your memories without Celebi's help.**

Satoshi smiled, wrinkling the lightning-bolt shaped birthmarks under his eyes.

'Thank you my friend. Sound advice, as always.'

The amnesiac trainer stood up with a sigh.

"I'm going into town. I need to do some information gathering. Anyone want to come with?"

Lucario declined, saying he wanted to rest and recover some energy. As strong as he was, stopping Infernape's hellish attack still required a fair amount of energy.

Charizard snorted a negative, then closed her eyes to take a nap. One of Satoshi's pokemon was already soaking themselves in a nearby stream. His last pokemon, however, gently floated up to her trainer, and touched the button on her pokeball.

"Still a bit shy in public?" Satoshi remarked rhetorically after the light faded.

He received only a twitch of the pokeball in response.

Grinning, the trainer set off into the trees

-In town, at Sabrina's residence-

"You wanted to see me, Misty."

As usual, it was not a question. Sabrina almost never asked questions, a result of her impressive psychic capacities. Some people found it unsettling, but Misty had known the Leader long enough to become accustomed to it.

"Yes, I have a question concerning Satoshi."

"By the fact that you are asking a Psychic, I will assume that you are referring to Satoshi-san's curious ability to command his pokemon without words."

"Yes."

Sabrina sighed. "I also noticed it during his match. I tried to get a reading on any psychic ability he may have been using, but with such a large stadium of people, with everyone practically screaming their thoughts, I couldn't pick out Satoshi at all."

Misty frowned. "So how do we figure out whether or not he has psychic powers?"

"The best way would be to observe him during one of the smaller matches, or challenge him to a match outside of the tournament."

Misty nodded. It made sense. Aside from the matches that went on in the main stadium, there were also battles in several other locations, speeding up the tournament. "I don't think we will have the opportunity to find him outside of the tournament, so we will probably have to wait until his next match; according to the schedule, it will be around sunset, and it will be in one of the smaller arenas. Until then, why don't we explore the town? This tournament only comes along every fifty years, after all!"

Sabrina gave a small smile. Misty had become a very good friend to her over the years, and was one of the few people who felt comfortable enough to spend any amount of time with the gym leader.

"Sure."

-In town, a little bit later-

Misty and Sabrina walked side by side through the crowded streets. Everywhere you turned you could see something interesting. There were stands of all kinds, hawking wares, serving food, and offering games and other amusements for the passing crowds. The air was filled with the smell of food and the laughter of excited children. Both Misty and Sabrina had content smiles on their faces. The sheer _happiness_ in the environment was enough to make the trip worthwhile. Pikachu rested comfortably on his trainer's shoulder, calmly surveying his surroundings. After such a confusing morning, this dose of simplicity was wonderful for the yellow mouse.

Frankly, the three were thoroughly enjoying the walk, at least until three stomachs decided to remind them that none of them had eaten since early that morning.

"We should probably get something to eat," remarked a mildly embarrased Misty.

Sabrina nodded in agreement, then pointed to a nearby stand that advertised a variety of foods. A satisfied-looking blonde could be seen departing the store, strangely accompanied by a large suit of armor.

Taking the look of satisfaction as a positive review, the Gym Leader and ex-Leader made a Combeeline for the stand, sitting down at the counter and placing their orders.

A few short minutes later, both young women were filling their stomachs, and making light conversation. Misty was discussing the strengths and weaknesses of her newest pokemon with Sabrina, when both of them felt an intense wave of shock ripple through the crowd outside. They turned, sticking their heads out of the stand to see the cause of the commotion.

Their eyes widened in shock as none other than Satoshi himself strolled down the street, seemingly without a care in the world. He seemed not to notice the effects his presence had on the crowd. Women swooned, men glared, and children pointed and whispered in awe.

As if the appearance of the mysterious trainer wasn't enough of a shock for Misty and Sabrina, Satoshi proceeded to turn and enter the stand, sit down, and order some food.

Misty and Sabrina counted themselves fortunate that the Gym Leader was the world's most powerful psychic, because telepathy beat whispered conversation hands down.

'Misty, challenge him to a battle, quick!'

'Right now? And why me?'

'It will make it easier for me to get a read on any psychic abilities he has! We may not have such a good chance again!'

Misty nodded, and reached down to unclip one of her pokeballs, but before she could turn to offer her challenge to the dark trainer, another figure burst into the stand.

"Satoshi! I challenge you to a pokemon battle!"

All three current occupants of the stand turned toward the voice. It was a boy, looking about eleven, with brilliant red hair, green eyes, and a defiant expression on his face. Without waiting for Satoshi to respond, the boy continued. "You are being called one of the best trainers to show up at this tournament. If I can beat you, I'll be able to make a name for myself!"

Satoshi's smile could be seen beneath his hood.

"Challenge accepted."

-A few minutes later, nearby empty square-

Satoshi had led the boy to one of the town's many small squares, Sabrina and Misty following close behind. Once they had reached their destination, Satoshi and his challenger took up positions on either side of the space.

"I don't believe I caught your name," spoke out Satoshi, "Do you mind telling me?"

"Silph Hikaru," shouted the boy, "and don't you forget it!"

If Satoshi's eyebrows were visible, Misty was sure they would have been raised.

"Would you happen to be the son of Silph Akio-dono? The founder and head of Silph Company?"

The boy seemed peeved. "Don't compare me to my father!"

Satoshi actually sounded slightly abashed. "Sumimasen, Hikaru-kun."

The dark trainer turned to Misty. "Excuse me, Waterflower-san, do you mind refereeing this match?"

Misty blinked. "S-sure, but...how did you know my name?"

Satoshi grinned again. "I would be ashamed with myself if I did not recognize one of the strongest trainers in this tournament, and if I did not know a Leader on sight I would turn in my license, especially if that Leader is the strongest psychic in the world."

The redhead blushed, while the Gym Leader had the oddest expression on her face, as though she had just been slapped in the face with a very large, very wet Magikarp. For once in her life, Sabrina had absolutely idea how to respond.

Trying to salvage both hers and Sabrina's images, Misty assumed a poker face. "This match will be a one-on-one battle between Satoshi and Silph Hikaru! Both contestants please send out your pokemon!"

As one, Satoshi and Hikaru hurled their pokeballs.

"Take 'em down, Sableye!"

"Mai (Dance), Yugana!"

In the usual bright flash of light, a Sableye and a Gardevoir appeared facing each other. This Gardevoir, however, was not the ordinary green and white colors of the Embrace pokémon. Instead, the green was replaced with a gentle blue – the telltale signs of a shiny Gardevoir.

"Lucky! I'll start this one off! Sableye, use Shadow Ball!"

The Darkness pokemon complied, charging up and firing the packet of vile energy. It drew closer and closer to the graceful psychic-type, until there was almost no chance of it missing.

The attack struck - and kept going. It was as if Gardevoir wasn't even there!

To his credit, Hikaru hesitated less then a second. "Sableye, use Shock Wave to find out where she is, then use Multi Dark Pulse!"

On the boy's command, a pulse of electricity radiated out from the Sableye, reaching across the battlefield. As the electricity reached out, an outline of Gardevoir became visible, then the pokemon herself shimmered into existence. In response, Sableye fired off multiple barrages of dark energy at the psychic-type, filling the air with black projectiles. As the barrage reached Gardevoir, the blue and white pokémon closed her eyes, and teleported. She appeared a few meters away, only to disappear yet again. In the span of less than a minute, Gardevoir made over fifty different micro-jumps, avoiding the attacks entirely.

Misty let out a breath she hadn't noticed she was holding. For a moment, she had been just a little bit worried about Satoshi's pokemon.

"Sableye, use Thunder Sneak!"

Misty's eyes widened as the purple pokemon appeared out of Gardevoir's shadow, its fist crackling with electricity.

The Sableye surged forward, throwing out the fist, only for the attack to reflect off an invisible barrier behind Gardevoir. The psychic-type teleported away again, eyes still closed. Undaunted, Hikaru called out another attack.

"Quick, while Protect is down, another Thunder Sneak!"

Sableye attempted to comply, but was stopped short as its body briefly flashed gray, indicating that Gardevoir had used Disable. Before Hikaru or his pokémon could react, however, Gardevoir retaliated for the first and last time in the battle, firing off swarms of glowing leaves that slammed into Sableye, knocking it out cold in one attack.

"Sableye is unable to battle; the winner of this match is Satoshi!" called Misty, fulfilling her role as referee.

Hikaru collapsed to his knees in disbelief, his eyes staring straight ahead.

"I- I couldn't do anything…Dammit!" he yelled, tears streaming from his eyes, "Why am I so weak?"

As the young boy continued to sob, he suddenly felt a shadow fall over him. He looked up. In front of him stood Satoshi, the visible part of his face wearing a kind smile. A hand came down, resting on Hikaru's shoulder.

"Don't worry," the dark trainer reassured his challenger, "You are not weak, Hikaru-kun. You have a strong bond with your pokémon, and you battle well with him. If you continue to train, and continue to battle, and continue to build that bond, there will be no limit on how strong you can become."

With that, the dark trainer turned to Misty, his distinctive grin visible under his hood. "Waterflower-san, could you do me the favor of taking care of Hikaru-kun? He probably has enough money to survive the rest of the tournament; he just needs someone more responsible to keep an eye on him. I can trust you with that, right?"

Misty found herself blushing. For some reason, she found it hard to speak normally in Satoshi's presence. "S-Sure."

Satoshi grinned even wider. "Well then, I will be seeing you around. Waterflower-san, Sabrina-san, Hikaru-kun, sayonara (good bye)!"

And with that, Satoshi moved over to his Gardevoir, placed a hand on her shoulder, and trainer and pokémon vanished in a teleport.

-Later, at Sabrina's residence-

After Misty had taken Hikaru to Brock and Max's room, where he had fallen asleep on the couch, she and Sabrina walked back to the Gym Leader's apartment. There, Sabrina finally answered the question Misty had been burning to ask.

"Satoshi is undeniably an enigma. He used no psychic power that I could detect, but during the match, it was almost as if he and his pokémon were the same being. From the time he released Gardevoir to the end of the match, I couldn't distinguish between their psychic signatures. I've never experienced anything like it."

Misty frowned thoughtfully. "We should talk to Cynthia. She would be able to tell us if this sort of thing has ever happened before."

Sabrina nodded in agreement. "We can ask her tomorrow, during the matches."

The red-haired ex-Leader and the green-haired Leader spent the next hour once again comparing strengths and weaknesses of various pokémon. Eventually, Misty left, saying she wanted to get some rest for her first battle, which was scheduled for early the next day. She bade farewell to Sabrina, and headed back to her room at the Pokécenter.

-Later that night, concealed docking facility-

The ship was matte-black, and made no sound as it eased into the covered dock, gigantic doors closing after it, concealing it entirely from unwanted viewers.

The vessel sat in the darkness for a few moments, then with a snapping sound, brilliant white lights illuminated every surface of the dark craft. At the same time, figures dressed in black swarmed over the dock's concrete decks, tying off mooring lines and bringing a steel staircase to the side of the ship. At the top of the steps, a man dressed in an expensive suit appeared, and began descending. At the bottom of the stairs, a double row of black-garbed soldiers stood – an honor guard. At the head of the guard was a solitary figure dressed in white, a red "R" emblazoned on his shirt.

The man dressed in the suit finished his descent, and the black-haired man in white bowed to his superior.

"Welcome to Sennichi no Shima, Giovanni-sama."

***bows***

**Hello again everyone, this is Crack the Skye with the first real chapter of Indomitable Spirit! Wooooot!**

***throws confetti***

**I hope it is as good as the prologue, because more than half of this chapter was written on my Blackberry at running camp, so the quality probably fell quite a bit, mainly because I can't buy the mobile Word Premium, which is what has spell-check. Sumimasen. So anyway, before anyone asks, YES I copied the idea of release commands from Bleach, and Hirumanai's finisher move was indeed a variant of Naruto's Uzumaki Naruto Rendan (barrage). Again, don't own.**

**As you may have all noticed, Satoshi only has four pokémon. The names and identity of his last two will be revealed next chapter. And to forestall any suggestions, YES he will eventually have six, but to reveal any more would be a major spoiler.**

**On the names:**

**Hirumanai : Dauntless**

**Yugana : Graceful**

**So they don't sound as good in English. Oh well.**

**Side note: can someone recommend a good Japanese translation site? I have some things planned that just don't work on Google Translate.**

**To the Reviewers:**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed. It really means a lot to know that someone out there is willing to give you feedback. Thank you.**

**Sardonicus: Yes.**


	3. Movement Two: Baroque Beat Downs

Disclaimer: Do I look like a multi-millionaire owner of a massive franchise to you? If you said no, you're absolutely right! I don't own Pokémon, any of the theme songs, or a multimillion-dollar jet. I do own my trusty six-shooter, so lawyers, get lost!

Track 02: Baroque Beat Downs

Opening Theme: Battle Without Honor or Humanity by Tomoyasu Hotei {Kill Bill Vol. 1 Soundtrack}

Sorahime's Theme: Sky High (Bleach Beat Collection)

Taifuu's Theme: Fairy Tail's Main Theme (Metal Version) by Takanashi Yasuharu {Fairy Tail OST}

Pikachu's Theme: My Blade as My Pride (Bleach Beat Collection)

Max's Theme: Red Fraction by Mell (Black Lagoon Soundtrack)

_I: Sunrise Scherzo_

**-**6:30 A.M, Offshore of Sennichi no Shima-

Misty yawned as she rode the boat to her first tournament match. The sun was not up yet, and none of Misty's other friends had gotten up to watch her, with the sole exception, surprisingly, being Hikaru. She had expected him to stay in the room, but he had been up and ready when she had left her room an hour before. When she inquired as to why he was up so early, the young trainer merely shrugged and muttered something about "only time I get to myself."

She had been curious, but out of respect for his privacy, didn't comment further.

Misty's thoughts were interrupted when Hikaru's somewhat awed voice came from the bow. "I can see the stadium!"

The red-haired ex-Gym Leader turned toward the front of the small boat. In front of her was one of the most famous pokémon battle sites in the world.

Aquarius Stadium.

A miracle of modern engineering and pokémon power, the entire stadium floated unanchored on the calm waters of the atoll it was centered on. Throughout even the strongest storms, the stadium remained unmoved. For Water-type trainers, the stadium was a dream come true. The entirety of the battle area was water, with the only land being platforms for the trainers to stand on. Natural currents constantly circulated below, and the open-air environment was completely at the mercy of the weather. It was a challenging battle location, but if you knew how to use the surroundings, it was one of the best battle sites you could find.

'And now I get to try it out' thought Misty as the boat docked at the battlers' entrance.

Smoothly, the redheaded trainer stepped onto the dock, and proceeded into the stadium, followed closely by Hikaru.

-5 minutes later-

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE AQUARIUS STADIUM! THE STANDS ARE PACKED, EVEN THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING, TO SEE THE EXCITING BATTLES SURE TO COME ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT OF CELEBI!"

The MC's words boomed out over the stands, which were, as the energetic voice had pointed out, completely packed. Men, women, children, and pokémon were all present, anticipation so heavy in the air that you taste it. At the center of it all stood Misty and her opponent, facing each other on small platforms that floated in the middle of the watery battlefield.

Misty turned her attention from the crowds around her to her opponent. She was a girl about Misty's age, with long brown hair and eyes, a green jumpsuit, white scarf, and a pilot's goggles and hat. The tournament database said her name was Ohayashi Suzume, and she was a flying-type trainer. She had performed well in the Silver League, making it to the semifinals. She was extremely good with her chosen type; she was also known as Ōkaze no Suzume (Suzume of the Great Wind). She was by no means a weak opponent.

"AND NOW FOR OUR FIRST MATCH OF THE DAY! ON ONE SIDE, THE AIRBORNE GIRL FROM JOHTO, THE GREAT WIND, OHAAAAYAAAASHIIIIII SUZUUUMEEEEEEE!"

The young woman smiled and waved happily to the crowds, her eyes glinting with excitement.

"AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, EX-GYM LEADER OF CERULEAN CITY, THE TRAGIC MAIDEN OF MOUNT SILVER, AND ONE OF THE MOST POWERUL TRAINERS AT THIS TOURNAMENT, MIISSTYYYY WAAATERFLOWEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!"

The redhead rolled her eyes at the announcer's words. Her status as an ex-leader _was _unusual, as very few leaders gave up their titles unless they moved up to the Elite Four. She _was_ a powerful trainer, her training in Mount Silver ensured that, but it was the second title that annoyed her. After _his_ death, the news of his sacrifice spread, as well as the news of Misty's affection for him. Many had vied for the chance to "heal" the broken-hearted girl. She had turned them all away, even the ones who had fought their way through Mount Silver to find her. Unfortunately, that had only contributed to her fame as the "tragic maiden". Try as she might, she couldn't shake the title.

"BOTH TRAINERS READY! THE BATTLE TYPE WILL BE DOUBLE BATTLE, THREE POKEMON PER TRAINER!"

The redhead smirked. A Double Battle would work perfectly for her needs.

"BEGIN!"

Misty took the initiative, hurling out both her pokéballs. "Tachiagaru (Rise up), Ryū shinzo! Ichigeki de kiri (Cut in one strike), Ha no Ishi!"

Misty's Dragonite roared defiantly as the light died, with her Gallade perched on the mighty dragon's back.

Misty felt a surge of confusion from both her opponent and the crowd. It was understandable; after all, she had previously been a water-type Leader. The redhead smiled to herself; she had successfully planted a few seeds of doubt into her opponents mind.

Suzume recovered quickly, and threw out both of her pokémon as well. "Shake off the dust, Flygon! Shine, Skarmory!"

The two airborne pokémon took the field, staring down Misty's pokémon, no fear visible in their eyes.

Misty again struck first. "Ryū, boost your strength with Dragon Dance! Ishi, use Skill Swap on Flygon!"

Suzume responded quickly. "Flygon, Dragonbreath at Dragonite! Skarmory, cover him with Swift!"

"Dodge it, then use Iron Tail Throw!"

Dragonite skillfully avoided the stream of energy, then shot up to evade the star-shaped barrage from the Armor Bird. At a lull in the two pokémon's attacks, the dragon pulled its tail back, with Gallade crouched at the end, then with a mighty swing, _hurled_ the Blade pokémon at Skarmory. Misty followed up before her opponent could call out a counterattack. "Psycho Cut!"

Gallade quickly complied, slashing at the metal bird with powerful psychic blades. Unable to get out of the way, Skarmory took several hits, but didn't take much damage.

"Skarmory, fly down and get some space! Flygon, hit Gallade with Flamethrower while it's falling!"

The Mystic pokémon turned to acquire its target, only to find that Gallade wasn't falling.

Down in the stands, Hikaru abruptly realized what Misty had done. "Flygon's ability is Levitate, and Gallade used Skill Swap! That's brilliant!"

Suzume realized the same thing, calling Flygon off and ordering both her pokémon to gain altitude.

"Flygon, keep using Dragonbreath! Keep the pressure on Dragonite!"

"Ryū, dive, then launch Ishi again! Ishi, use Fire Punch this time!"

Her pokémon obeyed, swooping down towards the waiting Gallade, who was already forming the fire attack on its fist. Dragonite braked with its wings, extending its tail out to the Blade pokémon, hooking below it, then slinging the pokémon toward their opponents. Gallade shot towards the Skarmory, who once again was unable to move fast enough to dodge. The super-effective move hit, causing Skarmory to screech in pain. The attack, however, was not enough to eliminate the Armor Bird, although it did almost lose control of its flight. Gallade continued past Skarmory, hovering in place once it ran out of momentum. Suzume's eyes narrowed, as she noticed something about Misty's attack pattern.

"Flygon, gain some more altitude! Shield Skarmory enough to use Sky Attack on Gallade! Gallade can't fall, but it also can't maneuver!"

Misty frowned, realizing the same thing. Levitate didn't allow pokémon to fly, just remain in place, and Gallade couldn't use Psychic well enough to move himself. Her best bet was to try and take out Skarmory before it could land the hit.

"Ryū, use Thunderbolt and knock Skarmory out of the sky!"

Dragonite obeyed, firing the bolt of electricity at the Armor Bird…only for Flygon to move in front of it to take the hit. Being Ground-type, the Mystic Pokémon took no damage. Dragonite readjusted its position to take another shot, but it was too late. Skarmory had already begun its wildly fast dive at the unprotected Gallade, its entire body glowing blue-white.

Misty gritted her teeth, knowing what was coming, and then shouted out her command. "Ishi, use Destiny Bond!"

The Blade pokémon nodded determinedly, and braced itself, sending a ripple of invisible energy at the incoming Armor Bird.

"SKAAARR!"

"GALLADE!"

Both pokémon cried out in pain on impact, as Gallade began to fall out the sky, knocked out. Skarmory wobbled for a moment, then its wings folded and it followed Gallade down, both pokémon plummeting toward the water. Their trainers acted quickly, returning their companions before they hit. "Nice job, Ishi," Misty murmured to the ball containing her pokémon, "Take a nice long rest."

The redheaded trainer put the ball away, then returned her attention to her opponent. Both trainers glared at each other for a moment, before sending out their last pokémon.

"Screech to the heavens, Pidgeot!"

"Kaminari to inazuma to himei o ageru to kōshi, (Strike with the lightning and scream with the thunder), Pikachu!"

Suzume's Pidgeot was the biggest Pidgeot most of the audience had seen, and its cry was loud enough that the water trembled. But even Pidgeot's intimidating cry and size paled in the face of the sheer power that radiated off of the small yellow mouse that had just emerged opposite it. Pikachu was, as Misty claimed, her strongest pokémon. He was so strong, in fact, that when he was in full battle mode, as he was now, storm clouds spontaneously formed overhead, drawn together by the sheer static electricity the pokémon generated.

And now, as rain began to fall on the battlefield, the seeds of doubt that Misty had planted in Suzume's mind began to blossom. The bird keeper was so distracted by Misty's just released pokémon that she completely missed Misty's next command.

"Ryū, use Ice Beam."

The shot of bone-chilling energy struck home, hitting Flygon dead in the chest. The mystic pokémon didn't stand a chance against the extremely super effective move. The dragon/ground-type was knocked out before it began to fall.

Snapping back to reality, Suzume realized what had happened. "Flygon, return."

Misty smiled. She had the bird keeper exactly where she wanted her. "Ryū, return."

Suzume blinked. "What are you doing? This is still a double battle!"

"This battle was over the moment you let yourself be distracted. Pikachu, use Thunder."

Suzume's eyes widened. "Dodge i-"

"PikaCHUUUUU!"

With a crack of thunder that shook the entire stadium, a great bolt of lightning, larger around than the Pidgeot that was its target, ripped down from the black clouds overhead. Pidgeot didn't even have time to cry out in pain. As the bird pokémon plummeted from the fast-clearing skies, the MC called the match.

"OHAYASHI SUZUME IS OUT OF USABLE POKEMON! THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH IS MISTY WATERFLOWER!"

As the crowd roared in approval, Misty held out her arm, allowing the yellow mouse to hop up onto her shoulder, before turning and nodding at Suzume. "Thank you, Miss Ohayashi. It was a most enjoyable battle."

Suzume nodded, mechanically returning her falling pokémon, and watched the redhead turn and walk out of the arena, the first rays of the rising sun illuminating her back.

High up in the stands, a figure in a hood frowned to himself.

'That Pikachu is incredibly powerful...and familiar…but why did I see a younger version of Waterflower-san when she was walking away? Hmm.' The figure nodded to a blue and white pokémon next to him, and both vanished in a brief flash of light.

_II. Morning Maestoso_

-Terra Stadium, 10:00 AM-

Max swallowed hard as he waited in the darkness of the tunnel. Just a few steps forward was the blinding light of the arena, and his first match. Ordinarily, Max would have been completely psyched, barely able to restrain himself from racing out into the spotlight. Ordinarily, he would have been full of bluster and bravado in front of his friends before they went into the stands.

Ordinarily, Max didn't have Volkner as his opponent.

The young trainer had found out that he had drawn the electric leader just after Misty had returned with Hikaru from her match.

_Yugana used Flashback!_

_-Earlier that morning, Pokecenter-_

_Misty and Hikaru entered the common area of the center to the sight of Max sitting at one of the computer terminals, staring anxiously at his empty inbox. The younger Maple had been notified of his match time, but had been told that he would be informed of his opponent by eight o'clock that morning. _

_At the table just behind Max sat Brock, May, and Dawn. May was gently teasing her brother, coming up with different opponents he could be assigned._

_"Oooh, what if you get paired up with someone like Steven Stone? I don't think I would know who to root for! I mean, Steven is soooo hot!" _

_Max turned his attention from the screen to stare anxiously at his sister. "What? Do you think I might have to fight Steven?"_

_As the young trainer continued to panic, Misty and Hikaru joined their friends at the table. May turned to Misty with a smirk on her face. "Hey, Misty, great timing! We were thinking, if Max has to battle Steven Stone, who would you root for?"_

_Misty joined in on the act flawlessly. "Steven, of course! Why would I back the losing Rapidash?"_

_Hikaru added his opinion, a mischeivious grin visible on his face. "I'd root for Steven, too. Seriously, there would be no contest!"_

_Max groaned. "Hikaru! I thought you were on my side!"_

_May finally couldn't help herself, laughing loudly at her little brother's expression of betrayal. "Hahaha...M-Max...hahaha...you..you should...haha...s-see your face! Hahahaha!"_

_The younger Maple frowned at his sibling. "It's not funny!"_

_Dawn took pity on her best friend's brother. "It's okay Max, they're just messing with you."_

_Despite the Sinnoh coordinator's reassurances, Max continued to angst about his match. "But what if I do get Steven? He used to be the Champion in Hoenn, and he hasn't lost in years! Or what if I get-"_

_Max broke off as the computer pinged. The entire group crowded around him as he opened up the message in his inbox._

_"Max Maple Selection Round Schedule," read May aloud, "Round Robin Style. Top two of four advance. First match opponent: Volkner. Preferred Type: Electric. Affiliation: Sunyshore Gym, Sinnoh Region. Occupation: Gym Leader."_

_Everything was quiet for a moment, then everyone's reaction came. "EEEEHHHHHH?"_

_-One hour before the match-_

_Max was still panicking as he and his friends prepared to leave for the match._

_"What am I gonna do? Volkner is known as the strongest Gym Leader in Sinnoh, and he was offered a spot in the Elite Four twice! I can't do this!"_

_"Max, calm down!"_

_"But I-"_

_Misty placed a hand on Max's shoulder. "No buts, Max. You've taken down plenty of Gym Leaders before, you know you can do this. Trust yourself and trust your pokemon. Even if you do lose, the only way that we will be disappointed with you is if you give up on yourself. Don't hesitate, and don't doubt yourself."_

_Misty gave a small smile, releasing Max's shoulder. Her last words were a whisper, for her and Max alone. _

_"Ash would do the same."_

_Reader woke up! Reader is beside itself with rage!_

Max clenched his fist as he remebered Misty's words to him. 'That's right, I'll make Ash proud!'

"AND FACING HIM, WE HAVE THE RISING STAR FROM HOENN, THE BATTLING PRODIGY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAAAAAAAX MAAAAAPLEEEEEEEE!"

Taking a deep breath, the young Trainer steeled himself, and moved out into the light of the arena.

As he blinked in the sudden light, the roar of the crowd washed over him. Thousands had come in to watch the match, looking forward to the battle between one of the most powerful Gym Leaders in the world and the brightest star amidst the top rookies.

Max's eyes finally adjusted, and he uncovered them to look across at his opponent. Volkner wore his usual blue clothes and semi-bored expression, which was at the same time annoying and terrifying to Max.

"So you're Max Maple, hunh?"

Max jumped as he realized Volkner was addressing him. "Y-Yeah! I'm the one who's gonna beat you!"

Volkner quirked an eyebrow, an anticipatory grin growing on his face. "Is that so? Well then, let's see if you can give me an interesting fight!"

Max nodded, determination alight in his eyes.

"THE BATTLE STYLE WILL BE SINGLE BATTLE, THREE POKEMON PER TRAINER! THE FIELD TYPE WILL BE GRASSLAND!"

The field shimmered as a carpet of knee-high grass sprouted between and around the two trainers.

"TRAINERS READY! BEGIN!"

"Stand ready, Sceptile!"

"Bristle, Jolteon!"

As the two pokemon emerged, an approving look appeared on Volkner's face. 'Hmm. He chose a type that Jolteon can't counter well. This should be interesting.'

The blonde leader shouted out his first command.

"Jolteon, use Agility to boost your speed, and use Magnet Rise to cover your weak spot."

The lightning pokemon complied, its paws rising a few inches off the ground. Max frowned. Magnet Rise cut off his orginal plan to hit Jolteon with a ground attack. "Sceptile, you use Agility too, then boost your attack with Swords Dance!"

"Jolteon, hit him with Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge it, keep boosting your speed with Agility!"

As the shot of electricity crackled through the air, Sceptile's movements visibly sped up, allowing the forest pokemon to flip itself out of the way. The grass-type continued to move around the battlefield, growing faster and faster, evading the many blasts of electricity from its opponent, for the next several minutes.

"Jolteon, use Rain Dance!"

As the rain began to fall, Max paled. There was really only one reason Volkner would be using Rain Dance.

"Sceptile, ground yourself with Iron Tail!"

"Jolteon, use Thunder!"

Much to Max's relief, his pokemon managed to comply just before the devastating attack ripped from the skies. The young trainer's quick thinking, combined with his pokemon's natural resistance to the attack, reduced the effect of the attack to minimal scorching. Not one to throw away opportunity, Max went on the attack.

"Sceptile, while he's recovering, Ha Senkou!" (Leaf flash)

Sceptile tensed, its elbow leaf-blades glowing white, then disappeared as a brillliant flash lit up the arena, blinding both Volkner and his pokemon. In the next moment, a flurry of slashing sounds could be heard, followed by a pained cry of "Jolteeeoooon!"

As the afterimages of the flash faded from Volkner's vision, he could see Jolteon lying on the ground, knocked out, and Sceptile in a fighting stance in front of his trainer, as if he hadn't moved at all.

'Teleport? Did Sceptile just...teleport?'

Volkner frowned. 'No, it can't have been. Sceptile can't learn teleport. It must have been something else.'

Volkner returned his Jolteon, then sent out his next pokemon. 'Either way, we'll find out...'

"Bite, Luxray!"

The bright eye pokemon yowled a challenge as the light from its release faded. Max, deciding to try and take out the electric cat before it could react, stayed on the attack.

"Sceptile, Ha Senkou Mai!" (Dance of the Leaf Flash)

Again the bright light blinded Volkner, and again a flurry of slashing sounds could be heard. But this time, instead of fading, another flash appeared…and another…and another. Volkner could hear his pokémon snarling in pain, but he couldn't do anything until he figured out…There!

"Luxray, use Shock Wave, and then use Thunder Wave!"

There was a sizzling sound, followed by a cry of "Tile!" When the light next faded, Sceptile was on one knee, electricity crackling over his body. Luxray was panting, but was still upright. Max gritted his teeth in frustration.

'He figured it out…'

"Very interesting attack you have there, Max Maple," commented Volkner, the signs of a smile beginning to creep across his face, "Now what will you do?"

Max's thoughts were racing as he reviewed his current position. Sceptile's Ha Senkou Mai was basically Sceptile using Flash to cover his movements, which were accelerated to maximum speed by multiple uses of Agility. But now that Sceptile was paralyzed, the likelihood that he would be unable to move increased the more he moved. Adding that to the fact that the stress of the speed s at which Sceptile moved during that attack actually damaged Sceptile, the young trainer realized that his pokémon would not be much use in close combat. Deciding to switch to attacks that didn't require movements, Max shouted out his next commands.

"Sceptile, back out and cover yourself with Magical Leaf!"

The Forest pokémon grunted a response, forcing itself back onto its feet, and summoning a mass of glowing leaves, which it sent after Luxray, who began dodging at Volkner's command. The leaves pursued, however, giving Sceptile enough time to back away. Finally, Volkner's Luxray blasted away the leaves with a quick Thunderbolt. The two pokémon faced each other, both panting from their injuries and exertions. Max called his next attack, and what might be Sceptile's last, at the same time that Volkner called his countermove.

"Sceptile, Leaf Storm!"

"Luxray, use Protect!"

"TILE!" came the cry, as thousands upon thousands of razor-edged leaves manifested behind Sceptile, then rushed forward with the full fury of the incredibly powerful Grass-type attack. Luxray just barely managed to erect the protective barrier, which had already begun to show signs of the force that the onslaught was exerting on it.

"JUST A LITTLE MORE SCEPTILE! BREAK THROUGH!"

The green pokémon obeyed, focusing all of its remaining energy into the attack. As the Protect cracked and finally gave way, Volkner shouted something, but it was lost in the roar of the attack.

The onslaught of leaves continued for a few more seconds, then cut off as Sceptile collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted. Max recalled his faithful pokémon with a smile, and turned to see what pokémon Volkner had sent out. The young Maple's eyes widened as he processed what was in front him. Luxray stood, seemingly unharmed, as a copy of the Bright Eye pokémon faded from existence a few meters away.

Volkner sighed. "Phew, if I hadn't had Luxray set up that Substitute before the Protect broke, that would have taken her out. What a strong attack..." The Electric Gym Leader grinned at Max, an approving look on his face. "Send out your next pokémon, Max Maple."

Max didn't reply, electing instead to hurl his next pokémon.

"Bring the dust, Flygon!"

The Mystic pokémon flashed into existence above the battlefield, ready for battle. Volkner's look of approval grew into an excited grin.

"Flygon, use Stone Edge! Let's get some damage done!"

"Luxray, use Iron Tail to deflect it!"

The electric cat's tail glowed white in response, and blurred into motion as the barrage of sharpened rocks homed in. In a matter of seconds, every single rock was knocked out of the air by the scything tail. Volkner wasted no time in calling his next attack.

"Luxray, use Hidden Power, then use Spark on yourself!"

Max frowned. 'Why would you use Spark on yourself?' The young Maple was brought out of his thoughts by the odd chiming sound that signaled a Hidden Power attack.

"Flygon, block it with Heat Wave!"

The Mystic pokémon let out a surge of superheated air, as the spheres of energy appeared to melt under the countering attack. Max paled. Melting Hidden Powers indicated that their type was Ice, which was the worst type Flygon could face. He'd have to be careful with Flygon's maneuvering. The young trainer turned his attention back to Luxray, just in time to see the cat allow the ball of electricity that it had built up disperse across its body. Then, before Max's eyes, the Luxray vanished, leaving behind an arc of electricity. Max frantically tracked the trail of energy around the stadium, trying to predict where the blur would move next.

"Flygon, use Dragonbreath! Try to lead the shot!"

Flygon began gathering purple-colored flames into its mouth, only to cry out in pain as Luxray appeared above the Desert Spirit, slamming an Iron Tail into Flygon, then disappearing again. Then, before Max could blink, Luxray appeared _below_ Flygon, striking it with another Iron Tail, following it up with a third Iron Tail from a forward somersault.

Max gritted his teeth as Luxray pulverized his pokémon, never staying visible long enough for Max to counterattack.

'This is insane! How can any pokémon move that fast without Extremespeed? Not even Sceptile at his best is that fast!'

Volkner looked rather proud. "You like my Luxray's Thunder Coat? By channeling electricity through its muscles, Luxray's speed and strength increase to near-Legendary Levels. It's a very effective attack method, don't you think? Makes it almost impossible to hit her, too, since she can just dodge the attack."

Max growled under his breath. It felt like Volkner was _taunting_ him. "Dodge this! Flygon, use Draco Meteor!"

This time it was Volkner's turn to pale, as the Mystic pokémon charged the ultimate Dragon move. "Luxray, use Hidden Power!"

"Flyyyy-GOOOOOON!"

"LUUUUXRAYYY!"

Both attacks struck at the same time, knocking Flygon out of the sky and slamming Luxray into the ground. When the dust settled, both pokémon could be seen with swirls for eyes, knocked out. As the two trainers returned their pokémon, Max heard Volkner making a sound that he did not ever expect to hear, especially from the Electric Gym Leader. It started low, then built up to a exhilarated shout.

Laughter. Volkner was _laughing_.

As Max – and pretty much everyone else – gaped at the blonde, Volkner, now truly excited, spoke.

"HAHAHA! YES! SHOW ME MORE MAX MAPLE! SHOW ME HOW STRONG YOU ARE! MAKE ME FEEL ALIVE!"

Without a pause, Volkner threw out his third and final pokémon. "ELECTROCUTE, RAICHU!"

The large orange and brown mouse burst onto the field with a loud cry and a crackle of electricity.

In the stands, Pikachu's eyes narrowed, and the little yellow mouse started radiating killing intent toward the Raichu on the field. With the exception of Misty, nearly everyone backed away from the surprisingly scary mouse. Hikaru, unaware of Pikachu's mood, turned to Misty.

"Wow, that Raichu looks pretty strong, huh, Mis-OWW!"

The young boy broke off as a glowing white lightning bolt-shaped tail slammed into the top of his head. Hikaru sank to the ground, swirls in his eyes and a large bruise already visible on his head. Misty turned to look at him, a slight look of pity on her face. "Didn't we tell you? Pikachu _hates_ Raichus."

Back in the arena, Max pulled out his final pokéball as well, a look of sheer determination on his face. 'Are you watching, Ash? I'll make you proud.'

"Crash down, Gyarados!"

As the great blue beast appeared in the bright flash of light, almost every mouth in the stadium fell open. Here they had expected Max to send out a ground-type, when he instead sent out a pokémon whose greatest weakness was, in fact, electricity!

"What is Max thinking?" exclaimed Hikaru, "Gyarados will be down in one hit!"

May turned to the group's newcomer. "Calm down Hikaru. Max will be fine."

"But Volkner's-"

"It's alright," interrupted Misty, "Max _can_ win this match."

"How?"

The redheaded trainer smiled.

"Just watch."

"Raichu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Gyarados, meet it with your own Thunderbolt!"

Both pokémon unleashed the beam of crackling energy, with an orange-yellow stream emerging from Raichu and a pale blue one issuing from Gyarados. The attacks met middle between the two pokémon, fighting each other for dominance. Abruptly, Max switched tactics, trying to catch Volkner off guard. "Gyarados, dodge to one side and use Twister!"

"Raichu, break off and use Double Team!"

Multiple copies of the Mouse pokémon appeared on the field, hampering Gyarados's accuracy. The Atrocious pokémon launched the whirlwind of wind and energy toward the mass of copies, only to have most of them dodge.

"Boost the attack with an Icy Wind!"

At the command, the blue pokémon shot a blast of superchilled air into the vortex, which abruptly quadrupled in size. The twister raged across the arena, eliminating every single copy until it reached the original, which was hurled across the field, slamming into the wall. While the mouse pokémon struggled to get back up, Max readied Gyarados for their next move. "Gyarados, start using Dragon Dance, and don't stop until you max out!"

Gyarados snarled an affirmative, and a cloud of energy began to whirl around the pokémon, increasing its speed and power. Finally, Raichu managed to get back up on its feet, slightly dizzy from the impact against the wall. Volkner shouted his next command. "Raichu, hit him again with Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge it!"

"Track where he's moving and use another Thunderbolt!"

Gyarados easily avoided the first bolt, but the second bolt, fired before Gyarados could change direction, struck it dead on. "GYAAAAAAAARR!"

"Gyarados!"

The pokémon lay on the ground, unmoving.

"Gyarados, come on, get up! You can still win this! _We_ can still win this!"

The Atrocious pokémon twitched, but did not rise.

Tears of desperation began to form in Max's eyes. "Come on, Gyarados…please…get up…you've gotta get up! Get up!"

The blue and white pokémon twitched again, shifted on the ground…and moved. Slowly, and with every muscle in its body screaming for rest, Gyarados picked its head up. Then its neck. Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, the pokémon lifted itself up. Max's voice rose in volume as his friend rose higher off the ground. "Come on Gyarados! You can do this! COME ON! KEEP GOING! COME ON, GYARADOS…!"

Finally, with one last, wrenching effort, as if breaking free from deep mire, Gyarados came up completely, raising its head in a deafening roar of defiance against its foe.

"GYAAAAAAARRRR!"

"Alright, Gyarados! Now, use Dragon Dance again!"

The dragon pokémon complied, erupting into a blaze of purplish energy. Volkner looked impressed at Gyarados' determination to win. 'That it could even move at all after taking a direct hit from Raichu's Thunderbolt…Truly a strong-willed pokémon.'

"Raichu, take him down again with Double Thunderbolt!"

"Don't fall for it this time, Gyarados! Dodge both shots!"

Just like before, the orange-tinted bolt of lightning streaked toward Gyarados, and just like before, Gyarados dodged it. This time, however, when the second bolt followed in the wake of the first, Gyarados, its speed increased even further by the Dragon Dance, easily evaded the electric attack. The Thunderbolts continued to lance out from the electric mouse, but the blue and white pokemon dodged every single one. Gyarados' speed continued to increase, until it was moving across the battlefield in a blue blur. Every attack that Raichu made, no matter what its type or power, missed, until, exhausted, the Mouse pokemon stopped attacking, panting in short breaths. Spotting his chance, Max cried out his attack, throwing all his hope into the command.

"Gyarados, use Earthquake!"

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR.!"

On its own, the attack would easily have taken out the exhausted Raichu. However, Gyarados had been boosting its attack with Dragon Dance for the past several minutes. Consequently, the Ground-type attack wasn't just super-effective – it was devastating. Great rifts opened in the arena floor, and throughout the stands, people and pokémon were thrown out of their seats. When the tremors ceased, and everyone looked down onto the stadium, they could see a sight that most of them would have never believed possible. Max's Gyarados stood, triumphant, over Volkner's unconscious Raichu. The audience was silent for a few seconds, and then…!

"RAICHU IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH IS MAX MAPLE!"

The applause was thunderous, a roar of approval for the young trainer's feat. Volkner recalled his pokémon, a genuine smile on his face. "That was the most exciting match I have had in years…my thanks, Max Maple."

The blond Leader turned and exited the stadium, leaving Max to drink in the applause from the crowd. The young trainer looked up into the now-cloudless sky, a content expression on his face.

'Wherever you are now, Ash, I hope you're proud of me.'

_III. Lunchtime Legato_

-Shima Gai, 11:48 AM-

An hour after his battle, Max was still buzzed over his win. It was understandable, though. Volkner hadn't actually lost a battle in three years, and Max had beaten him in the Tournament of Celebi, in front of thousands of spectators. Already, Max had become a minor celebrity, evidenced by the small pack of fans that had persisted in following the group across the town. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, Max hadn't noticed his stalkers yet, engrossed as he was with discussing his battle with Misty.

"That move your Sceptile used was actually pretty impressive, Max. Where did you come up with the idea?"

Max beamed "Well, I was training in Dark Cave, and I had taught Sceptile Flash so that we could see, and we got attack by a swarm of Golbat deep in the cave, and Sceptile used Flash to blind them. That was kind of the inspiration for it, and I just worked from there. This was the first time I actually Ha Senkou Mai in an all-out battle, we haven't really mastered it yet."

"I noticed that too," interjected Hikaru, "Sceptile took way more damage from that Shock Wave than it should have."

The younger Maple sibling shook his head. "He didn't. The Shock Wave really wasn't even necessary. When I said we haven't mastered it yet, I meant it. Ha Senkou accelerates Sceptile's speed to near-Legendary levels, and then boosts it even more with the energy release from the Flash. The downside is that Sceptile's body hasn't quite adjusted to the speeds he's moving at. Until then, every time he has to slow down or rapidly change direction, the stress catches up to him. The damage he took was from the Paralysis forcing him to stop."

Misty patted Max on the shoulder. "It's fine Max. You created your own original move, and then created another move that's based on it. Most trainers that make their own move take 10 years to get that far. All you have to do now is perfect it. We'll do some training together if we find some free time."

The boy's face lit up. "Train? With you? Awesome!"

The redhead nodded. "Hikaru can join too, if he wants."

"A training session? Am I invited?"

The entire group jumped at least a foot in the air at the new voice from immediately behind them. As one, they turned to see the hooded figure of Satoshi, a Cheshire grin visible from under the deep hood.

"Konnichiwa (Hello), Hikaru-kun, Waterflower-san," the hooded trainer bowed slightly, then turned to the rest of the group, "I don't believe we've met. I'm Satoshi. Hajimemashite. (Nice to meet you)"

"I'm Brock."

"Dawn Berlitz."

"I'm May Maple."

"I'm Max Maple."

"Yes, I saw your battle against Volkner. I have to admit, it was quite impressive."

Max looked like he might pass out. Satoshi was _complimenting_ him on his battle!

"On the other hand," continued the hooded trainer, "while your Sceptile's move was quite effective, using it multiple times in a row risks exposing the weaknesses of the attack, especially against opponents on the level of Volkner. That was kind of stupid."

Max face-faulted.

"Actually, you didn't really need to use that move against Luxray at all," Satoshi went on, seemingly oblivious to the young trainer's reaction, "Judging by your expression when Jolteon used Magnet Rise, Sceptile knows a Ground-type move as well. You could have hit Luxray with that one right off the bat, since Luxray didn't use Magnet Rise. You have a pretty good battle style, but you seem to get just a little too far into the heat of the moment, and you make some dumb choices because of that."

Satoshi turned back to Max, who was crying anime tears.

"Sorry about that," broke in May, "Max has some self-esteem issues."

"I do not!"

May looked at her brother, a grin on her face. "'Claire is so powerful, and she's beautiful at the same time. How can someone like me ever hope to compare to someone as awesome as her?'"

Max froze, a Stantler-in-the-headlights expression on his face. May continued, enjoying her brother's discomfort. "'I mean, she's been training for battles since she could walk. She's a complete genius. What do I have that can possibly catch her attention?'"

The younger Maple finally snapped. "MAAAAAY! You promised you'd never tell anyone that!"

"Did I? Looks like I lied."

As the exchange between the two siblings escalated, Satoshi turned to Brock and Misty, a large sweatdrop visible on his hood. "Does this happen often?"

"Yes. All the time."

Max and May's quarrel was abruptly interrupted by the collective growling of Misty, Hikaru, and Satoshi's stomachs. All three looked sheepish, even Satoshi, despite the fact that only his mouth was visible. "Ehehehehe…I guess we should get something to eat?" suggested Misty.

-A Short While Later-

Shima Gai (Shima Town), being a tournament town, had many affluent restaurants, so the group didn't have trouble finding a place to eat. They were greeted at the door by the head waiter, who seemed to be barely holding in his excitement at having three celebrities in his restaurant at the same time. He escorted them to a table on the second floor of the restaurant, which Misty was sure was only used for people with a _very_ large account at the Bank of Kanto, and left them to decide what they wanted to order.

For a few minutes, the only conversation was Brock and Misty arguing which of two dishes was better. Eventually, the waiter returned, and took their orders.

"I'll have the kushiyaki," requested May.

"Make that two," chorused Max and Hikaru.

"I'll have the yaki soba," ordered Dawn.

"Gyudon," Misty calmly stated.

"A plate of maki-sushi, please," came Brock's request.

"One bowl of gohan, and some sencha, please."

Everyone turned to Satoshi, the same question visible on all their faces. Simple rice and common tea? The mysterious trainer answered the unspoken question with a shrug. "There was only simple fare where I lived, and I developed a taste for it."

Misty raised an eyebrow, while May jumped at the open window for information. "Really, Satoshi? So where do you come from?"

"My home is in Kami-Kyoku no Yama. (God Song Mountains) I can't really say where."

Brock's eyebrows rose. "The massive mountain range that's north of Kanto and Johto?"

Satoshi nodded. "That's the one."

Hikaru whistled. "No wonder Satoshi-aniki is so strong. Mt. Silver is at the south of the Kami-Kyoku no Yama. Not even the Elite Four go too far into those mountains unless they have to."

Dawn leaned forward, like she was trying to stare deeply into Satoshi unseen eyes. "And why would you be living up there?"

Satoshi grinned. "I live up there because…"

Everyone leaned forward.

"…It's a secret!" He finished, causing the entire table to facefault. "But seriously, I'd rather keep that to myself, if you don't mind."

Dawn and May looked disappointed, but still nodded in understanding. After a few moments of silence, Satoshi turned to Max and asked him a question about his pokémon, and the conversation stayed in that vein for several minutes, until their food arrived. Everyone dug in immediately, with the exception of Satoshi. The hooded trainer reached for his belt, withdrawing a pokéball, and touched the activation button. From the pokéball emerged his Gardevoir, who tensed at the sight of unfamiliar trainers, but relaxed after a gesture from Satoshi. As everyone else watched, Satoshi offered his bowl of rice to his pokémon, not having taking a single bite yet. As his pokémon expressed her thanks, Misty smiled softly at seeing how much Satoshi cared for his pokémon. Everyone else watched as well, until Satoshi's pokémon ate her fill.

Satoshi accepted the bowl from Gardevoir, and placed it on the table in front of himself. Offering a quiet "Itadakimasu," he picked up a pair of chopsticks and dug in.

-Outside the Restaurant-

"Satoshi enjoys simple food," muttered Bonnie to herself as she alternated between peering through binoculars and scribbling in a notebook. "He is also very caring for his pokémon, and very polite. A relationship with him is very likely to be long-lasting and happy."

Next to his sister, Clyde sweatdropped. "Neechan, you're acting like an obsessed fangirl over the objective of our current mission."

"I am NOT! I'm just….um….making observations on Sato- on the subject!" shouted the Rocket agent, shutting the notebook rapidly.

Clyde rolled his eyes, and snatched the notebook from Bonnie's hand before she could react. Ignoring her protests, the orange-haired brother opened the book, and starting reading through what his sister had written. "'Satoshi seems to show an interest in Waterflower. Is it the red hair, or the strength of her pokémon? To Do: work on hairstyle, train pokémon'….Sketches of what Satoshi might look like…neechan, you're definitely obsessed with this guy."

"Niichan! Give that back!"

"No, I think I'll hold onto this for a while, at least until you stop acting like a fangirl." A tick mark appeared on the orange-haired girl's forehead, which her brother, unfortunately, failed to notice. Irate, Bonnie glared at her brother, before pulling a mallet from…somewhere.

'WHACK'

Clyde never saw the blow coming. The strike left him lying on the roof, swirls in his eyes. Quick as a Ninjask, Bonnie reclaimed her stalki- _mission_ notebook, hugging it to her chest protectively. "Satoshi-kun, I'll never give you up."

-Back in the Restaurant-

"Achoo!"

The sneeze from Satoshi prompted a chuckle from Brock. "Looks like someone's talking about you."

Satoshi seemed to grimace. "I've been sneezing like that quite a lot since yesterday morning. Popularity isn't all it's cracked up to be. Don't you agree, Max-kun?"

Max looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean? I've only been really famous for a few hours."

"I'm referring to the mob of fangirls that are waiting outside this restaurant to ambush you."

Max looked out the window. Sure enough, a mob of girls was waiting down on the street, staring back up at him. Max shuddered as he realized what the expression on the faces of the girls actually was – hunger. "T-that's….scary…"

Satoshi nodded sympathetically. "Yes, the greatest pitfall of being powerful and well-known; mobs of stalkers who believe that they can get you to fall for them. I'm sure Waterflower-san feels the same way."

Misty nodded, an expression of pity on her face. "Yes, I do. I've had to deal with fanboys for the past six years, but they never formed…_packs_…like that."

Satoshi quirked an invisible eyebrow. "If I may ask, what happened six years ago that brought such a plague upon you?"

Abruptly, Misty's demeanor shifted from relaxed to nearly emotionless, with only a slight glimmer in her eyes to hint at the vast depth of sadness underneath. "A very close friend of mine…died."

**There's a deep sadness in all of them, Satoshi-kun. Please try to avoid bringing that topic up again when I'm nearby. I don't like feeling that much sadness at one time. **

Satoshi sent an apologetic feeling back to the Shiny pokémon, and then returned his attention back to the group. "Sumimasen. I didn't mean to bring up such an unpleasant subject. Please, forget I asked."

Glancing back out the window, Satoshi's eyes widened. "Did that mob just get bigger?"

The group looked with him, and saw that what Satoshi was saying was absolutely true. Their eyes got even wider when they recognized a group of people in the mob. "Th-that's…!"

-In the Street-

"Nice job Winona, we found Satoshi-kun!"

The group of female Gym Leaders had been searching for the object of their affection all morning, and had only just caught sight of the dark trainer entering the restaurant.

"Let's see if we can get in and get a table near Satoshi-kun!" proposed Whitney, marching up to the door of the restaurant.

-In the Restaurant-

"Why are the Gym Leaders here?" cried Dawn. "Max isn't that popular, is he!"

Satoshi sheepishly raised his hand. "Umm…that might be because of me. I did kind of make a big entrance into the tournament."

Hikaru was sweating "This is bad. We have a pack of fangirl _Gym __Leaders_ coming into the restaurant! How do we get away without them noticing?"

Satoshi seemed to relax a bit. "Okay, that I can take care of. Brace yourselves."

The hooded trainer turned to his Gardevoir. "Yugana, get us out of here."

The blue and white pokémon nodded, then closed its eyes. In a flash, the entire group disappeared, leaving only the check behind.

A few moments later, the group of Gym Leaders entered, only to look around in confusion. Maylene was the first to speak.

"Where did Satoshi-kun go?"

-Elsewhere-

In another flash of light, the group appeared in the middle of a small clearing. Abruptly, Misty and her companions found themselves lacking the seats they had been occupying moments ago, and fell backward onto the ground. Satoshi, who had been the only person standing, chuckled. "First time teleporting?"

Misty, rubbing her tailbone, gave the dark trainer a half-hearted glare. "You could have told us what you were going to do."

Satoshi grinned. "Now where would be the fun in that?"

Misty huffed, looking away.

Dawn, now fully recovered, looked around the clearing. "Where are we?"

Satoshi shrugged. "This is where I live, for now, anyway. Yugana just went to the first place that popped into her head."

May also looked around, looking for any sign that someone lived there. "Where do you sleep? I don't see a tent or anything."

Satoshi waved his hand dismissively. "I don't need one."

"Eh?"

"When the weather is fine, I sleep on the grass. If the weather's rainy, I sleep under a tree."

Hikaru looked baffled. "What if it's cold? I don't see a fire pit either."

Satoshi gestured behind him. Behind the trees, something huge shifted. "Why would I need to make a fire? All the heat I need is right here."

The shape behind the trees began to emerge from the shadows of the woods. First a snout, then a reptilian head, then a long neck, connecting to a lean upper body, held up by toned legs tipped by vicious claws. Sprouting from the back was a massive pair of wings, currently folded. Following the body was a long, powerful tail, tipped by a bright flame that seemed the very embodiment of heat. As one, Max, Brock, Hikaru, May, and Dawn stepped backwards. They had seen Charizards before, but none this _large_. Most Charizards were only about 15 meters from nose to tail – this Charizard was at least 30 meters long. The sheer power radiating from it was staggering.

"Mina-san (everyone)," Satoshi finished, "meet Sorahime."

The fire lizard snorted a greeting, lowering her head to look Misty in the eyes, keen intelligence gleaming in the Charizard's eyes.

Misty did not hesitate, returning the gaze, then inclined her head respectfully. "It is an honor to meet you, Sorahime."

The Charizard turned her head to her trainer, radiating approval that even Misty could sense. The red pokémon growled something to Satoshi, who chuckled in response.

"She says she likes you."

Misty smiled, and her companions relaxed. "The feeling is mutual."

Everyone else followed Misty's lead, introducing themselves to the majestic fire pokémon. Satoshi abruptly turned towards his right, as a familiar blue-and-black pokémon entered the clearing.

**Welcome home, Master.**

As one, the group jumped, slightly startled by the Lucario's telepathic voice.

"Good to be back. Hirumanai, these people are Misty Waterflower, Brock, Max and May Maple, Dawn Berlitz, and Silph Hikaru."

The Aura pokémon bowed. **A ****pleasure ****to ****meet ****all ****of ****you.**

Satoshi gestured to his Gardevoir, who had been quietly standing off to one side. "You all have already met Yugana."

The Shiny Gardevoir inclined her head, while her partner looked around the clearing. Satoshi looked mildly displeased by something.

"Something wrong, Satoshi?" queried Brock.

"Mm. I had hoped my last partner would come out and see you guys, but he's still pretty antisocial. I apologize."

Misty's eyebrows rose a fraction. "You only have four pokémon? That's rather unusual."

Satoshi offered one of his shrugs. "I really don't need any more than that. My friends are a great team right now. Why would I want to mess it up?"

Brock chuckled. "That's a unique perspective. You must have a lot of confidence in your pokémon."

'Considering how strong the two we've seen are, and how powerful that Charizard is, I'd say he has enough reason to be that confident,' thought Misty.

Satoshi nodded. "I do. They train hard, and they always give their all. I have no reason not to have that much confidence."

May changed the subject, still looking around the clearing. "Where are we, anyway?"

"Only a mile or so away from town. I didn't want to be too far away. Yugana doesn't mind teleporting me everywhere, but taking advantage of her like that is wrong." Satoshi walked over to a tree, flopping down onto to the grass. His Gardevoir and Lucario laid down next to him, and Sorahime rested her head nearby. "I still have an hour until my match this afternoon. Feel free to walk around, I'll teleport everyone back before the match starts."

Finishing what he had to say, Satoshi closed his eyes. Seeing an opportunity, May and Dawn crept closer towards Satoshi, only to freeze as Sorahime's head shot up to glare at them, a growl rumbling in the fire-type's throat.

"Oh, just so you know, Sorahime can be kind of overprotective of me, so if you're thinking of trying to see my face or something, watch yourselves."

"O-Okay," came the cowed response from the two coordinators.

_IV. Afternoon Accelerando_

-Terra Stadium, 2:00 PM-

The stands were once again packed for Satoshi's match, everyone eager to see the mysterious trainer who was so powerful. The Gym Leaders were all present again, accompanied by the Elite Four. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the beginning of the match.

"AND WELCOME TO THE NEXT MATCH OF THE TOURNAMENT OF CELEBI! ON ONE SIDE, WE HAVE THE STAR FROM THE LAND OF HOENN, YOSHIDAAAAA HIROOOOOOAKIIIIIII!"

From the tunnel on one end of the arena emerged the trainer. Dressed in the red jacket that was characteristic of a Cool Trainer, the trainer sported spiky black hair and green eyes. He wore a confident smirk on his face, with his hands stuck in his pockets. He barely acknowledged the applause from the crowd, the only indication he heard them was an increase in the size of his smirk.

"AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE MYSTERIOUS HOODED TRAINER, THE MAN WHOSE SKILLS ARE SAID TO BE ON THE SAME LEVEL AS THE CHAMPIONS, SAAAAAATOOOOOOOSHIIIIIIIII!"

The crowd exploded into cheers, looking forward to another display of Satoshi's devastating skills, but no one emerged from the opposite tunnel. The applause died down, as confusion raced through the crowd.

"Where's Satoshi?"

"What's he thinking?"

Misty and her friends were not exempt from the mystery.

"Why isn't he here yet?" asked Max.

Misty shook her head. "I don't know. He had his Gardevoir teleport us back into town without him, then she teleported away again."

Down in the arena, Hiroaki laughed derisively. "Ha! Satoshi knew he was going to lose the match, so he just ran away instead of being humiliated! After all, only cowards hide their faces like he does."

Abruptly, a wave of killing intent flooded the stadium. Up in the Gym Leaders' box, Maylene was being held off the ground by Sabrina's psychic power. "SABRINA! LET ME GO! I'M GONNA KILL HIM! HOW DARE HE INSULT SATOSHI-KUN LIKE THAT!"

Sabrina sighed. "Calm down, Maylene. Satoshi will show. I saw him battle, and there is no way he would lose to someone like that."

Five minutes later, Satoshi still had not shown up. Hiroaki laughed again. "Satoshi isn't coming. Looks like this match is–"

The trainer's sentence was cut off by a deafening roar, as a large shadow fell over the field. Everyone looked up, cries of alarm coming from many in the audience. Misty and her friends smiled.

"So he did come."

The massive pokémon circled downward, landing opposite Hiroaki, its powerful wings kicking up a cloud of dust, obscuring itself from view. After a few moments, the dust settled, revealing a hooded figure standing next to the head of the Charizard.

"Sorry I was late. It took me awhile to get Sorahime to wake up."

Misty rolled her eyes. "Liar. He just wanted to make a big entrance."

Hikaru and Max ignored her. "Sooo cooooooool!"

In the Gym Leaders' box, there was not a single mouth that was still closed.

Volkner turned to Flannery, Morty, and Flint. "Have any of you seen a Charizard that big?"

Three heads shook. "No, not even the biggest Charizard in the Charific Valley was that big," murmured Flint.

Hiroaki sneered. "About time you showed up. I've been looking forward to humiliating you."

Satoshi did not deign to respond, returning his Charizard and waiting for the MC.

"THIS MATCH BETWEEN SATOSHI AND HIROAKI WILL NOW BEGIN! THE BATTLE FORMAT WILL BE SUCCESSIVE ONE-ON-ONE! THE FIELD TYPE WILL BE ROCK!"

Immediately, the arena floor shifted to a rough, uneven surface of rock and sand, interspersed with massive boulders, two and three meters high.

"BOTH TRAINERS READY! BEGIN!"

"Bite, Manectric!"

The Discharge pokémon appeared on the field, a snarl ripping from its throat. Satoshi paused, then hurled his own pokéball up into the air. "Kakeru (soar), Sorahime!"

In an explosion of fire, the massive Charizard made its reappearance. Compared to the primordial roar that followed, Manectric's snarling sounded as significant as a Kricketot's chirp. All of a sudden, Hiroaki's sneer looked much less confident.

Without a command from its trainer, Sorahime spread its wings, taking flight again with a gust of wind. Soaring upward, the massive lizard circled the battlefield, as if it was waiting for the opponent to make a move. Hiroaki recovered his confidence, standing up a little straighter. "Manectric, use Thunderbolt! Knock it out of the sky!"

The Manectric obeyed, charging and firing a purple-and-yellow shot of electricity at the Charizard. The reptilian fire-type seemed to roll its eyes, and then rolled the rest of its body out of the way, displaying impressive agility for a pokémon of its size. Hiroaki continued his assault, undeterred. "Manectric, keep using Thunderbolt! It can't dodge all of them!"

Again and again the Discharge pokémon fired off blasts of electricity, and again and again Sorahime dodged the attacks. Finally, Hiroaki changed tactics, growing annoyed with the Charizard's impossible agility. "Manectric, use Shock Wave!"

The wave of electricity radiated outward, finally landing a hit on the circling Charizard, causing the massive orange pokémon to shudder slightly in midair, before resuming its normal flight. Hiroaki's sneer came back in full force. "Ha! We hit it! Come on, Manectric, keep using Shock Wave until it falls out of the sky!"

Manectric obeyed, as pulse after pulse of electricity shot out to strike Charizard, each concentration of voltage causing a slight shudder to run through the powerful frame of the airborne pokémon, but the Charizard never lost any altitude. In fact, Sorahime looked almost bored with the constant electric attacks, despite its flying type. Hiroaki frustration was beginning to show. "Manectric! Get going! You should be bringing it down with one hit! Use Thunder!"

Manectric growled an affirmative, focusing its power, then unleashing a torrent of electric energy towards Sorahime. Once again, the Charizard rolled its eyes, and easily dodged the attack, with a snort that could be loosely interpreted as "I'm bored now."

The massive orange pokémon banked, then sucked in a deep breath. In the next moment, as Sorahime swept over the battlefield, it launched out a torrent of flames that could only be described as hellish. The heat radiating from the intense attack alone dried up all water in the stadium, causing water pokémon to cry out in pain. The flames themselves were so bright that they outshone the sun itself. Hiroaki quickly called out his next command. "Manectric, Protect!"

The translucent barrier appeared between the continuous stream of flame and Manectric. Two seconds later, the Flamethrower- for that is what it was- struck the barrier. The barrier held up for less than half a second, then shattered. Hiroaki didn't even have the chance to tell his pokémon to dodge.

The scorching flames slammed into the Discharge pokémon, completely engulfing it. Sorahime kept up the torrent of flames for several more seconds, which was long enough to completely glass any sand in the battlefield, then cut off the attack. As the flames died, Manectric became visible once again. It lay on the ground, heavily burned and unconscious, completely defeated.

"MANECTRIC IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! THIS BATTLE'S WINNER IS SATOSHI! BOTH TRAINERS WILL RETURN THEIR POKÉMON!" The MC's voice boomed over the crowd.

Satoshi shrugged, returning Sorahime without a word. Hiroaki followed the dark trainer's example, glaring at his opponent.

"THE SECOND BATTLE BETWEEN SATOSHI AND HIROAKI WILL NOW BEGIN!"

"Show em' up, Shiftry!"

The dark-grass type appeared, not making a single sound aside from a soft rustling of leaves. In the stands, several younger children shivered, feeling the subtle and malicious energy that radiated off the Shiftry.

"Areru (rage), Taifuu!"

Satoshi's last pokémon appeared, a battle-hungry snarl ripping from its throat. The two large, powerful tails, usually used for swimming, were lashing back and forth in anticipation of the match. Then the Floatzel caught sight of its enemy. Its tails stopped moving, its battle-ready posture slackened, and it turned to its trainer with a look that said 'Really?'

Satoshi chuckled, sounding somewhat apologetic. "I know, I know, you wanted a good fight, but this is all we have available now."

"Floatzel floatzel zel!"

"No, I can't send out someone else, only you and Sora-chan wanted to come."

"Zel, zel float!"

"Okay, okay, fine, you can do it on your own. I won't tell you to do anything. Is that good enough?"

"Zel!"

The pokémon turned back to its opponent, and resumed its battle stance, albeit a much lazier one. Hiroaki and his pokémon just looked confused.

"BOTH TRAINERS READY! BEGIN!"

Before Hiroaki could shout out a command, Satoshi turned and walked away from Hiroaki and his pokémon, and over to one of the large boulders. The hooded trainer, with just a slight bend in his knees, jumped up, landing lightly on the boulder, heedless of the fact that the boulder was several meters high.

In the Gym Leaders' box, several eyebrows went up. For most people, jumping that high was impossible. Several of them could do the same thing, of course, but that didn't make it any less impressive. Maylene squealed, finding yet another reason to be Satoshi's fan.

"Soooo amazing, Satoshi-kun!"

The more empathic Leaders were impressed for an entirely different reason. Satoshi had apparently understood his pokémon's speech perfectly. Even for trainers with years of experience it was difficult to perfectly interpret a pokémon without some form of psychic or empathic ability.

"This is quite interesting," mused Lucian, a curious smile on his face.

"Indeed," remarked Sabrina, remembering the curious phenomenon of Satoshi's psychic signature. "Cynthia, by the way, there's something I need to ask you about after the match."

The Champion nodded, understanding the look on Sabrina's face to mean that the Psychic Leader would fill her in later.

Back in the ring, Hiroaki pointed accusingly at Satoshi. "What the hell are you doing? Get back down here!"

Satoshi simply sat down, unperturbed, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Oh, don't mind me; I think I'll sit this battle out. It shouldn't make a difference in the outcome, anyway."

Hiroaki stood still for a second, mouth hanging open, as he processed what his opponent had just said. Predictably, upon realizing that he had just been insulted, his eyes lit up with rage, and he made as if to rush towards Satoshi. The dark trainer laced his fingers behind his head, looking away from Hiroaki as he continued speaking. "By the way, you should probably focus on your opponent."

Hiroaki stopped moving, confusion evident on his face. "Wha-"

"SHIIIIIIIIIIFFFFT!"

The Hoenn trainer was interrupted by the pained cry of his pokémon. He turned toward where his pokémon had been earlier, only to see it slumped on the ground, panting, with water dripping off of it. A short distance away stood the Floatzel, arms crossed, with a smirk on its face that practically screamed 'Bring it!'

Hiroaki recovered from the surprise attack, immediately ordering a counterattack. "Shiftry, Razor Leaf, and charge up a Solarbeam while he's dodging!"

The pokémon complied, summoning a swarm of wickedly sharp leaves, before launching them at the weasel. In response, the Floatzel jumped several steps backward, then spat three large Water Pulses at the incoming leaves. The first ball of water only slowed the attack down, and the second one stopped half of the leaves. The third one, however, was not aimed at the leaves. Instead, it shot straight towards Shiftry, who was still charging up its next attack.

"Ignore it, Shiftry, it won't do much damage!"

Immediately after the Hoenn trainer's dismissal of the Water Pulse, Floatzel tensed its body…and _moved_. It charged straight towards the Razor Leaf attack, its tails spinning madly. A second later, Shiftry launched the Solarbeam. At the same time, Taifuu reached the Razor Leaves. In a stunning display of movement, the weasel proceeded to either dodge or deflect the remaining three dozen leaves, some with its gyrating tails, others reflecting off the backs of its forepaws.

Without any hesitation, Floatzel continued forward, directly into the path of the Solarbeam. As the crowd gasped, the water-type's pupils dilated. From Taifuu's perspective, the world seemed to slow down. Just as it seemed the Solarbeam would strike the pokémon head-on, Floatzel stepped, and in one motion, dove forward, rolled _directly __under _the Solarbeam with mere centimeters to spare, and spat an Ice Beam in Shiftry's general direction.

The crowd 'oohed', impressed. Hiroaki's sneer faltered for a moment, but then returned as he realized the Ice Beam wasn't on course to hit Shiftry. On a command from its trainer, the Wicked pokémon summoned another swarm of leaves. Out of the corner of his eye, Hiroaki noticed that the Water Pulse was about to hit Shiftry. He would have dismissed it, but then another motion caught his attention.

Realizing what was about to happen, he turned back to his pokémon. "Shiftry, dodge!"

The pokémon paused, confused, and as a result, was a sitting duck for the incoming attack. A split second later, a large globe of ice, formed by the collision of the Water Pulse with the Ice Beam, slammed into Shiftry, knocking it flat to the ground.

In the Gym Leaders' box, Pryce nodded in approval. "That was a clever use of a combination attack. Satoshi really is a brilliant strategist."

Sabrina shook her head, her eyes wide. "Satoshi isn't doing anything."

The other occupants of the box turned towards her, puzzled. "What do you mean?" inquired Wake.

"Satoshi uses some weird power to communicate with his pokémon during battle, but while he does, he and his pokémon's psychic signatures overlap. Right now, they are completely separate."

"You mean…" began Erika, eyes wide.

"Yes," finished Sabrina, "That Floatzel is battling on its own."

Back in the ring, Floatzel dodged swarm after swarm of sharpened leaves, launched as defense from the injured Shiftry, which was now struggling to its feet. The Sea Weasel pokémon paused for a moment, summoning a vortex of wind around itself, then blasted away the offending leaves with the attack. Hiroaki, attempting to take advantage of the short pause, ordered a different attack. "Shiftry, barrage him with Shadow Ball!"

The Wicked pokémon immediately responded, firing off multiple spheres of malicious energy. Without a moment's hesitation, Taifuu spat out an equal number of Water Pulses, canceling out Shiftry's attack. Hiroaki snarled, then called out the attack he hoped would win him the match.

"Shiftry, Leaf Storm!"

Instantly, a hurricane of bladed leaves exploded into the arena, slashing at Taifuu from all sides. The Sea Weasel dodged as many as possible, but not getting hit was as easy as running through a rainstorm and not getting hit by a single drop. The attack did not subside for a full minute. When it finally died down, Floatzel could be seen, panting heavily and obviously injured. Hiroaki was grinning from ear to ear.

"Ha, not so tough now, are you?"

Taifuu responded by closing its eyes, as if it was meditating. Abruptly, the ground began to tremble, prompting many to wonder where a Floatzel learned Earthquake. Satoshi jumped up, blurring out of sight, before reappearing next to Hiroaki, a hand on the Cool Trainer's shoulder. The Hoenn trainer had no time to respond before both he and Satoshi vanished. An eye blink later, both trainers appeared on top of the boulder Satoshi had been occupying. Not a second too soon. With an awful cracking sound, the solid rock of the arena floor exploded upward, propelled by ton upon ton of frothing water.

Misty's face was the picture of shock. "Impossible…"

Brock paled. "To summon water from that far below and still break through solid rock…what kind of monster is that?"

Shiftry was a Grass-type, and as such was not affected very badly by water and rock type attacks. On the other hand, Taifuu's attack was composed of dozens of tons of water and at least a ton of rock, all slammed into Shiftry at the same time. Really, there was no contest. Once the rock had all settled and the water had calmed itself, the Wicked pokémon could be seen floating on the surface of the now-flooded arena, knocked out. Satoshi jumped from his current boulder to one closer to his pokémon.

"Enough of a workout for you?"

The Sea Weasel snorted. "Float-zel."

The dark trainer rolled unseen eyes. "I'll make it up to you at some point. Return."

"HIROAKI IS OUT OF USABLE POKÉMON, THE SECOND BATTLE AND THE MATCH GOES TO SATOSHI!"

Hiroaki didn't respond to the booming announcement, his eyes still fixed on Satoshi. The hooded victor turned and offered a slight bow to his opponent, before vanishing completely from the arena, leaving only a slight ripple on the surface of the water.

***Crack the Skye runs in***

**Ohayo, mina-san. I am sooooooo sorry this took so long to update! I just started junior year, and my life suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks! But that's still no excuse for taking more than two months. *Offers deep bow* Gomennasai!**

**Anyway, Satoshi's full team has been introduced, and Max and Misty got some limelight; I hope you enjoyed watching the battles as much as I had fun writing them. Wow, +11k words this chapter. I hope that makes up for it being so late. So, names and translations.**

**Sorahime : Sky Princess**

**Taifuu : Hurricane**

**Ryu Shinzo : Dragon Heart**

**Ha no Ishi: Will of the Blade**

**Kushiyaki : a kind of grilled and skewered chicken**

**Yakisoba : fried noodles**

**Gyudon : bowl of rice topped with beef and onion**

**Maki-sushi : rolled sushi**

**Gohan : rice**

**Sencha : the most common form of green tea in Japan**

**Itadakimasu : Japanese form of saying "Grace" before eating.**

**Okay, so Satoshi only has four pokémon. I do have plans for the other two spots, and they will be part of the story.**

**On a different note, I'd like to introduce my Beta/little sister, The Last Baroness.**

***The Last Baroness walks in* **

**TLB- *bows* Hajimemashite.**

**Yeah, Baroness-chan will be reading over my chapters to make sure everything flows right, so she really should get some acknowledgement.**

**Next chapter will feature more awesome from Satoshi, as well as battle for Misty. We will also delve a little deeper into the mystery that is Satoshi. We are moving forward in the story, I hope everyone is enjoying. If you have any comments, corrections, compliments, criticisms, cookies, or queries, please leave a review. Reviews make me happy.**

**Now, I have to go do physics *grumble*. Hopefully the next chapter will be out sooner than two months.**

**Ja ne!**


	4. Movement Three: OpenClose Doors

Indomitable Spirit-

Disclaimer: I don't own: the Pokémon franchise, NCIS: Los Angeles, Naruto, Bleach, or any other series, movie, or franchise I may reference or borrow from.

I do own: my OCs, my original moves (sometimes), and my shotgun. Lawyers beware!

Movement 03: OpenClose Doors

Chapter Theme: Clavar la Espada [Bleach OST 3]

Hikaru's Theme: Misirlou by Dick Dale and his Del-Tones [Pulp Fiction Soundtrack]

Cynthia's Theme: The Green Leaves of Summer by Nick Perito [Inglourious Basterds Soundtrack]

Sableye's Theme: Crane/White Lightning by RZA/Charles Bernstein [Kill Bill Vol. 1 Soundtrack]

-Shima Gai, Sinnoh Champion's Residence, 2:45 PM-

Cynthia closed the door of the study behind her, then turned to face her two visitors. "Okay, so what's this all about?"

Misty, never one to beat around the bush, answered. "Satoshi."

Cythnia's eyebrows rose slightly, but she did not interrupt. The redheaded former Gym Leader continued. "We're trying to find out more about him."

"You know as much as I do," replied the blonde Champion, "Actually, considering you've both spoken to him directly, you probably know more."

"True, but Satoshi is a conundrum wrapped in a puzzle inside an enigma…clutching a Self-Destructing Voltorb. And you are the best person I know to deal with puzzles and mysteries."

Cynthia nodded, modestly accepting the compliment. "So, what do we know about Satoshi?"  
>Sabrina began counting off on her fingers. "He has extremely strong pokémon, he seems to possess inhuman speed and strength, and he is capable of commanding his pokémon without speaking, as well as fully understanding Pokéspeech. When he commands his pokémon without speaking, he does not use any psychic or empathic link that I can detect, but the psychic signature of he and his pokémon seem to overlap with each other."<p>

"He claims his home is in the Kami-Kyoku no Yama, and he only has the four pokémon he has shown in the tournament. He seems rather friendly, and is a master battle strategist. Also," and here Misty paused, "When he signed up for the tournament, he exerted some kind of pressure onto everyone present. It was really hard to breathe, and some people passed out."

Cynthia's eyes widened at Misty's first statement, and her eyebrows arched at the last. "Really? The Kami-Kyoku no Yama? I don't even go there unless I want to have a really difficult training session. I can't even imagine living there. The pokémon that live there are extremely strong."

Misty nodded in agreement, but she wasn't expecting the next question.

"So how did you find _that_ little detail out? It sounds like you know him personally."

For some reason, the redhead became extremely flustered. "W-What are you talking about? I only really talked with him after Max's match! W-We had lunch as a group!"  
>A mischievous grin appeared on the blonde's face as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh? Are you sure, Misty? It wasn't something…<em>more<em>?"

Misty's face turned as red as a certain pale-eyed-girl-whose-name-will-not-be-used-to-avoid-any-possible-lawsuits-even-though-all-the-readers-know-who-it-is. "NO! IT WASN'T ANYTHING LIKE THAT!"

The redheaded trainer's reaction brought a small smile to Cynthia's face. "It looks like you're finally making new friends, Misty."

The ex-Gym Leader stiffened, shock visible across her features as the realization struck her head-on. Without warning, memories of her time with Ash flooded to the front. After he had…gone, she had kept herself as far away from others as possible. She was mortally afraid of losing a single fragment of her time with the boy she had loved, mortally afraid that if she didn't guard herself, her memories of Ash would fade away and be replaced by newer experiences. And so, she had submerged herself into training on Mount Silver. The reasons behind her choice of Mount Silver were twofold. Ash had told her once that if he became the Champion, he would go and train on Mount Silver until someone else came to beat him. Training on Mount Silver was both her attempt to fulfill one of his goals in his stead and a way to keep herself in seclusion. It had made her strong, but at the same time, had closed her heart off to all but her close friends. Which was just the way she wanted it. That way, no one could ever hurt her like he did…

"-sty! Misty!"

The redhead was pulled out of her reverie by Cynthia's voice. "Are you okay? You looked like you blanked out for a moment there."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Misty shook her head back and forth, clearing it. "What were we talking about?"

"We we-"

"We were talking about Satoshi's powers," interjected Sabrina, shooting the Champion a warning glance, "and Cynthia said she had a couple ideas about sources she could check."

Misty nodded, unaware of Sabrina's white lie. "Good. Sabrina and I will see if we can get more information out of Satoshi. Supposedly his last match of the round robin bracket will be sometime late tomorrow, so we'll have an opportunity to talk to him then."

Cynthia nodded, already lost in thought as she sat down at her computer terminal, absently waving goodbye to both women. Familiar with the blonde's hyperfocus once she had a task to sink her teeth into, Misty and Sabrina let themselves out. Once outside the house, Misty said goodbye to her friend, saying that her second match was in a couple hours and that she wanted to decide on her pokémon. Sabrina nodded in understanding, and the two parted ways.

-Battle Area B3, 4:00 PM-

Misty casually strolled into the center of the small arena. Several such arenas had been constructed all over the island for the tournament. Generally, trainers would have their first battle in one of the large arenas, and then would fight the remainder of their battles in the smaller arenas. Sometimes, a trainer who was making waves would be assigned a major field, but this was more for the sake of drama than anything else. Charles Goodshow, while an extremely intelligent businessman, had a large taste for the melodramatic, but no harm ever came of it. It kept viewers interested, and made things interesting for the trainers.

Either way, Misty had no issues with battling in smaller arenas. Sometimes the roar of the crowds gave her a headache, so the relative quiet of a minor battle area was welcome.

Battle Area B3 was no bigger than your average battle area, and had seating for only about 200 people. Compared to the whopping 150,000 seats in Terra Stadium, it was downright puny. It also meant that the referee didn't have to scream at the top of his lungs to be heard.

"This match between Misty Waterflower and Nakamura Souta will now begin! The battle type will be one on one!"

The redheaded trainer took a moment to glance back at her opponent. Dressed in simple, practical clothes, the only indications that Nakamura Souta was a Trainer were the pokéballs on his belt, the League Cap he wore, and…

Misty almost gasped out loud. Riding on the young boy's shoulder was a small yellow mouse, slightly smaller than the one on her own. The youth looked absolutely nothing like_ him_, but the sight of the Pikachu and the cap was enough. For a moment, she was facing off against Ash and his Pikachu. Then the memory was gone, and she was back in the present. Shaking her head, she reached down to her own belt, selecting a pokéball. She expanded it to full size, and would have thrown it, but her opponent's next words froze her in place.

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

The voice was completely different, but the confident tone and sheer energy of the command were exactly the same.

Without warning, something in Misty shattered. Her expression radiated an icy fury, and emotions that she had done her hardest to suppress for six years flooded outward.

Pain.

Anger.

Loss.

Sorrow.

A violent gust of air exploded through the arena, originating from Misty, and blasting out in all directions.

In the stands, a hooded observer's eyes widened.

'This is…!'

The gust of wind died down, and the redheaded trainer slowly lowered her hand, placing the pokéball she was holding back onto her belt. Both the referee and her opponent looked at her in confusion.

"Unless Miss Waterflower sends out her pokémon within the next fifteen seconds, she will lose this match by forfe-"

Misty's hand blurred.

"Kudakero (shatter), Shin Kamen!"

In a flash of light, Misty's Marowak exploded onto the field, club of bone at the ready. The referee made a sound suspiciously like a Delibird squawk, but recovered himself quickly.

"Both Trainers ready! Begin!"

"Pikachu, use Agility!"

"Shin, use Double Team."

The ex-Gym Leader's first command was cold, but held a rage to match an angry Gyarados.

A large number of illusory Marowaks appeared on the field, moving toward their solitary foe. In response, the yellow mouse focused, and became a blur. Compared to most of Misty's pokémon, it was slow, but it was still fast enough for Pikachu to destroy the army of false Marowak. The real Marowak suddenly threw up its club, intercepting the electric-type's tail just before it came down on its skull. The two pokémon deadlocked for a moment, then Marowak surged its strength forward, forcing its opponent back. Pikachu rapidly backed off, and the two pokémon began circling each other, both trainers watching for an opening.

"Shin, use Flamethrower."

"Pikachu, protect yourself with Thunderbolt!"

As the blast of fire approached the yellow mouse, the electric rodent began to spin on the ground, emitting a thunderbolt at the same time. The end result was a wall of electricity that completely nullified Marowak's attack.

Misty displayed no visible change in her icy expression, but inside she was boiling with rage. 'HOW DARE HE USE ASH'S MOVES! WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?'

Satoshi twitched slightly. 'Such rage! Where was she hiding these emotions?'

The hooded trainer reached down to his belt, unclipping and releasing his Lucario. The pokémon looked confused for a moment, then his eyes widened in shock.

**Master, this aura…**

The trainer nodded. 'It seems that Miss Waterflower has some interesting abilities.'

"Shin, use Bone Rush!"

"Pikachu, block with Iron Tail!"

The yellow mouse barely got its tail up in time to counter the savage bone attack. Not even giving her opponent a moment to rest, Misty followed through on her previous command.

"Follow up his block with Low Kick!"

"Dodge it, then use Flash!"

A scything leg swept under the Pikachu, who leapt upward to avoid the blow, before releasing a blinding burst of light. The Marowak paused, momentarily disoriented, as the yellow mouse landed back on its feet a few meters away.

"Use Rollout while it's blinded!"

The Pikachu tucked itself into a ball, and rolled towards its opponent, rapidly picking up speed.

"Shin, dodge it!"

The Marowak's vision returned a second too late. The speeding yellow ball slammed into the Bone Keeper pokémon, knocking it to one side.

A small part of Misty that wasn't furious at her opponent grudgingly admitted that despite his age, Souta was a very good Trainer.

The rolling Pikachu curved around, accelerating toward Marowak again.

"Shin, dodge to one side, let him pick up some more speed!"

Unhindered by bad vision, Marowak easily sidestepped the attack, oddly reminiscent of a Taurosfighter spinning out of the way of a maddened charge. Once again, the yellow mouse looped around before it could hit the wall, now traveling fast enough to leave a furrow in the ground behind it.

"Use Mega Kick as he gets closer!"

Obediently, the Ground-type focused energy into its leg, every muscle in its body tense as the Pikachu sped towards it. Closer…and closer…and…

"NOW!"

The Marowak's foot lashed out, hitting the yellow ball in a strike very much like a professional soccer player taking a penalty kick. The electric mouse flew in the other direction, and slammed into the wall opposite Marowak.

"PIKAAAA!"

The Pikachu flopped to the ground, its breath coming in short, painful gasps.

"Pikachu!"

Souta looked agonized at the sight of his friend in pain. "Pikachu, are you okay?"

The yellow mouse was still for a moment, then slowly forced itself to its feet. Its cheeks sparked in anger as it glared at the Marowak and its trainer. "Pi!"

Souta's look of determination returned, and he called his next attack with a confident smirk. "Use Iron Tail!"

The electric type blurred forward, coming back into focus immediately above Marowak's head.

"Counter that with Iron Head!"

The ground type's bone-covered skull glowed white a split second before Pikachu's tail came down on it. The attacks collided in a shower of sparks as the two pokémon struggled to overpower the other's attack. Misty was the first to break the deadlock.

"Use Bone Club!"

"Jump backwards, then use Focus Punch!"

Marowak swung its weapon forward, only for the target of the attack to flip back several meters. Immediately, Marowak made to press the attack, but stopped short at a word from Misty. "Hold!"

Souta was not the only one confused by the redheaded trainer's order. A large part of the audience also began murmuring amongst themselves.

"She's letting him hit her with a Focus Punch?"

"If it was Slam or another Iron Tail I would understand it, but Focus Punch?"

"Is she trying to lose now?"

Satoshi grinned under his hood. 'So that's what she's going to do…Very clever.'

Misty ignored the audience's reaction, instead focusing on her battle. "Shin, get ready!"

A second later, Souta's pokémon finished charging its attack, and shot forward, its forepaw glowing with energy. The Pikachu reached its target in an eyeblink, rearing back to deliver the match-ending blow.

"Use Counter!"

Before Souta even had time to process the redhead's command, it had been carried out. In one smooth movement, the Bone Keeper spun into the attack, dodging the punch by millimeters. In the same movement, Misty's pokémon swept Pikachu's legs out from underneath it, and delivered a savage strike with its club to the back of the mouse's head. The force of the blow, combined with the continuing momentum of the punch, propelled the yellow electric-type into the wall behind the Marowak. This time, Pikachu did not get up.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Misty Waterflower!"

Without another word, Misty returned her pokémon, turned, and stalked out of the arena.

-Several Minutes Later, Park near Battle Area B3-

The park was quiet, empty, and secluded. The only sounds aside from the gentle rush of water from the nearby stream were her own quiet breaths, as she sat on a bench by a still pool. In short, it was the very picture of tranquility. Within Misty, though, was a roiling maelstrom of pain and heartbreak. She had hoped that a walk in the park would clear her head, but all it had done was given her space to brood. On her shoulder, Pikachu was similarly distraught.

Both knew that they weren't the only ones to be hurt by Ash's death; they weren't that selfish. None of Ash's friends had been the same after that. Gary especially had taken his rival's death badly. He had taken three months off from the battle circuit, and had spent almost every day of it staring blankly at Ash's gravestone. Even now, he spent a huge amount of time at the quiet memorial to his best friend.

May and Dawn, even though they hid it fairly well, also felt the acute pain of loss. After the awful events on Mount Coronet, neither coordinator could bring themselves to enter a contest. They had eventually snapped out of their depression, but just like everyone else, they just weren't the same.

Max and Brock had thrown themselves into training. Max had competed in several League competitions, finishing fairly well in all of them. Brock had found a Master Pokémon Breeder, and had convinced the man to take him as a student. Neither of them allowed themselves enough time to think about their friend.

Surprisingly, the one person who handled Ash's death the best was his own mother. She had become the emotional anchor for the group of friends, brightening the room with her smile and cheerful demeanor. Even when she went out to tend to her son's empty grave, she hadn't stopped smiling. Delia Ketchum turned out to be stronger than anyone expected.

Misty chuckled sadly to herself. "I was never that strong, huh Pikachu? I still haven't really accepted that he's gone. Even six years later."

"Kapi, Pikachupi. Chuka pikachu chu."

Misty didn't respond to Pikachu's assurances, instead gazing out over the decorative pool.

'Ash…'

"I was wondering where you had run off to so quickly."

The voice made both Misty and Pikachu jump two feet into the air. The redhead spun around, her pokémon's cheeks already sparking. "Who-oh, it's just you, Satoshi."

The hooded trainer looked apologetic. "Gomennasai (Sorry). I interrupted a private moment, didn't I?"

The ex-Gym Leader shook her head, gracing Satoshi with a small smile. "No, I'm fine."

"You didn't look fine in the arena."

Misty blinked. "You watched that?"

"Your battle style interests me," the dark trainer answered, "But my point still stands."

He glanced at her, the space under his hood giving off a feeling of concern. "What did that poor trainer do to anger you so much?"

"No, it wasn't his fault. It's just…" the redhead took a deep breath. "He reminds me of…someone important to me."

Satoshi didn't say anything, merely waited for Misty to continue. She grudgingly obliged. "He was a very close friend of mine, years ago."

Now Satoshi chose to respond. "Was?"

"He…" Misty swallowed, trying to speak around the lump in her throat. "He died."

Satoshi's invisible eyebrows rose. "Ah. I see."

Misty continued to talk, the words now spilling out, like water from a broken dam. "He died saving my life, and my friends' lives. It wasn't even a sacrificial death. He just…died."

Satoshi was still silent, as Misty vented out emotions she had kept bottled and frozen for years. She had no idea why she was pouring out her innermost thoughts to this near-total stranger, but it was too late to stop herself now. "It's not fair! Why was he the only one who had to die? Why couldn't I have helped him? I could have saved him, or gone with him! Why did he have to be so selfish?"

"You loved him, didn't you?"

The quiet statement from Satoshi froze Misty in place. With one sentence, the hooded trainer had cut through all the confused feelings whirling through her heart, and exposed the root of her sorrow. The park was dead quiet for almost a minute, as the redhead's expression changed from shock, to realization, to sadness, and finally, to acceptance.

"Yes."

Satoshi once again was silent, as Misty's declaration hung in the air, thickening to an almost tangible density. For what seemed like hours, but was, in reality, only five minutes, the two trainers stood silently by the pond, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Satoshi broke the silence.

"Did he feel the same way?"

Misty shrugged. "I never found out, but at the very least, I think he saw me as a very close friend."

"Then, you spent a lot of time together?"

"Yeah." The redhead smiled fondly, remembering her time with Ash. Those years on the road with the aspiring trainer had been the best years of her life. The adventures, the battles, even the arguments they had; she couldn't remember a time when she had been happier.

Satoshi looked out at the pond, his voice subdued. "So, wouldn't he want you to be happy?"

Misty's eyes widened slightly. More memories floated to the surface: Ash running into town like an excited child, her laughing as Ash tried one more time to beat a game at a festival stand, she and Ash training against each other, Ash laughing when Squirtle missed his target and hit Misty instead…

Misty's smile grew, and she let out a breath that felt like she had been holding it for years. With the breath went an emotional weight that she had borne ever since Ash had died.

"Yes. Yes he would."

Next to her, Satoshi also smiled. With that one breath, the whole park had become radically different, even if it still looked the same.

'Such a vibrant aura…'

Abruptly, Satoshi shifted, turning to look directly at Misty. "So, do you think he would forgive you if you spent the afternoon with me?"

The ex-Gym Leader looked confused. "Huh?"

The hooded trainer continued. "I've actually never been to a festival like this one, and this is a festival that only happens every fifty years. Would you mind showing me around?"

Misty blushed a deep red. "A-are you hitting on me?"

At that, Pikachu jumped off of his trainer's shoulder, his cheeks sparking angrily. "Pikaaaaaaaa…" Even if Satoshi didn't understand Pokéspeech, he would have been able to understand the surprisingly menacing tone in the yellow mouse's warning.

Satoshi, also flushing red, started to wave his hands in front of him. "No, no, I-ah- I just wanted someone to give me a tour of the festival! I-If you don't want to, that's fine…"

The dark trainer trailed off toward the end of his sentence, looking away from the redhead. An awkward silence fell between the two, as neither of them found themselves able to make eye contact with the other. This time, it was Misty who spoke first.

"W-well, I…I think he would be fine with that. N-not the hitting on me part, I mean! Just the…um…spending time with y-you part."

After finishing that sentence, she blushed an even deeper red. Satoshi cleared his throat, then looked back at Misty, the space under his hood somehow blazing red. "S-so, I guess we should go now?"

Misty nodded, and both trainers relaxed slightly, before turning and leaving the park, carefully keeping just out of each other's reach.

-Several minutes later-

As they walked toward the main strip, the awkward barrier between Misty and Satoshi slowly dissolved, and they began conversing comfortably, discussing battles, comparing pokémon, and sharing stories of training in Mount Silver and in the Kami-Kyoku no Yama. Misty almost couldn't believe Satoshi's stories of Gyarados the size of lakes, or of Steelix tunnels fifty feet wide. When she asked how he could possibly survive in such wild regions, the dark trainer simply shrugged and said "My pokémon are strong. To stay alive, we all had to be."

Currently, however, the two trainers were arguing over whether Gyarados or Charizard was stronger. Misty, obviously, was in favor of Gyarados, while Satoshi was backing Charizard.

"There is no way Charizard is stronger than Gyarados!"

"Totally the other way around!"

"Tauros-crap! Gyarados has the type advantage! Charizard wouldn't last a chance in a straight up fight!"

"Yeah, but can Gyarados actually _fly?_ For a Flying type, it certainly seems earthbound! And Charizard is way faster, too! Gyarados would never hit!"

Misty and Satoshi were now facing each other, faces (or hood, in Satoshi's case) inches apart, glaring venomously at each other. Neither was backing down, as they continued their surprisingly immature argument.

"And I'm the Sinnoh Champion! Charizard would never be able to get through Gyarados' defense!"

"When Grumpigs fly! I've taken down dozens of Gyarados with just Sorahime, and we didn't even break a sweat!"  
>"Oh yeah?"<p>

"Yeah!"

"Oh Yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"OH YEAH?"

"YEAH!"

"PIKA-CHUUUUUU!"

The two trainers were interrupted by an annoyed Thunderbolt from Pikachu, who had quickly gotten tired of the standoff. "Pikachupi, pi pikachu pika pi pikachu!"

Misty and Satoshi both looked around. True to what the yellow mouse had said, several passersby were staring at them. They quickly separated, wearing Mareepish smiles.

"Heheh…truce?"

"Mm."

Their argument ended, the two trainers continued onward to the festival.

Several seconds after they departed, a smaller shadow detached itself from the shadow of a nearby building, and silently followed them.

-At the Pokémon Center-

Hikaru was bored. There was no other way to say it. He was currently lying on the grass in one of the training grounds next to the center, watching as Max battled against Brock in preparation for his next match. It was the middle of the afternoon, and Hikaru felt like he should be doing something, instead of just lying on the ground.

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!"

"Sudowoodo, counter it with Rock Throw!"

"Cut through it, then use Ha Senkou!"

Hikaru watched as the Grass-type easily bisected the incoming boulder. As the two halves of the missile struck the ground, Sceptile disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing behind the Rock-type as the light faded. Neither pokémon moved, until Sudowoodo fell forward, knocked out. Max punched the air in celebration. "Way to go, Sceptile!"

Brock shook his head at the young Trainer's antics. "Nice job Sudowoodo." The tanned ex-Gym Leader returned his friend to its pokéball, then turned to Max. "That was much better Max. Sceptile seems to get better at that move every time he uses it."

Max nodded. "Yeah, but Sceptile has the type advantage against Sudowoodo. I need to be able to use that move even when I have a disadvantage."

Brock shrugged. "As much as I'd like to help with that, most of my pokémon are Rock-Types. I don't have any pokémon with the advantage over Grass-types. Misty does though, so once she comes back from her match, maybe you can ask her to spar with you."

Max looked annoyed. "Her battle was one-on-one, it should have ended twenty minutes ago!"

The Hoenn native crossed his arms, a resentful frown on his face. "Besides, she also said she would have a sparring session with me today. She should be back by now."

The breeder-in-training shrugged again. "Guess you're just gonna have to wait, Max. There's no one else here to battle."

"What about me?"

Max and Brock both turned towards Hikaru, who had jumped up onto his feet, and was tossing a pokéball up and down in his left hand. "I can battle you. I'm bored anyway."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Hikaru?"

The redhead youth grinned confidently. "Don't start looking down on me just because I'm younger than you!"

The older boy grinned back. "Alright then. Let's go!"

The two trainers faced each other, with Brock standing between them, acting as referee. "Max, do you mind choosing first?"

"Nope!" Max plucked a pokéball off his belt, expanding and hurling it in one motion. "Buzz, Ninjask!"

In a flash of light, the Bug/Flying type pokémon materialized on the field, ready for battle. In response, Hikaru eagerly released his own pokémon. "Take 'em down, Sableye!"

Hikaru's companion appeared, already in combat stance. "Last chance to back down, Max," Hikaru announced, still grinning in anticipation. "Want to give up?"

Max scoffed. "In your dreams."

Brock stepped backward. "Begin!"

"Ninjask, use Swords Dance!"

"Sableye, use Psych Up!"

The pokémon complied, Ninjask performing the familiar war dance, raising its attack. Sableye, having hypnotized itself, mimicked its opponent. Max frowned. Hikaru had just effectively countered his traditional battle strategy with Ninjask. Usually, Max would use a combination of Agility, Swords Dance, and Ninjask's Speed Boost ability to raise Ninjask's speed until the opponent had almost no chance of hitting it, then taking them apart with its boosted attack. With Psych Up, though, Sableye would copy every stat change Ninjask made. "Ninjask, use Screech, then follow up with Metal Claw!"

The Ninja pokémon let out a piercing shriek, causing Sableye to cringe and place its hands over its ears in an attempt to block out the noise. Taking advantage of that opportunity, Ninjask shot forward, landing a direct blow on the Ghost/Dark type with its glowing forelimbs. Sableye fell backward with a cry of pain, but shot back to its feet a second later.

"Counterattack with Shadow Claw!"

"Block it with X-Scissor!"

The Darkness pokémon swiped at Ninjask with claws imbued with supernatural energy, but was blocked by Ninjask's crossed arms. The two attacks deadlocked for a moment, before Ninjask's slightly more powerful attack broke through its opponent's guard, causing damage and knocking Sableye backward again. This time, it took it several seconds to get up.

"You okay, Sableye?"

"Sable!"

Hikaru grinned. "Now, use Zen Headbutt!"

Psychic energy gathered around Sableye's head, and it leaped towards Ninjask.

Max pointed at Sableye. "Now, Ninjask, use Shadow Ball!"

The Bug/Flying type charged the packet of malicious energy, then fired it at its target. The Shadow Ball struck the incoming pokémon, dissipating the type-disadvantaged headbutt. The remaining Ghost energy struck Sableye in the head. Hikaru called his next attack, frustration evident in his voice. "Sableye, use Multi Shadow Ball!"

The swarm of Ghost-type attacks blasted from between Sableye's hands, rocketing toward Ninjask at amazing speeds. Immediately, Max announced his countermove. "Use Silver Wind!"

Max's pokémon began rapidly beating its wings, generating gusts infused with crescents of energy. The attack met with the barrage of Shadow Balls, canceling them out completely. Hikaru growled under his breath. Max was running circles around him. 'I need a way to get inside his guard…' The redheaded trainer almost slapped himself as he realized what he had to do. 'I should have figured this one out sooner!'

"Ninjask, use X-Scissor again!"

The Ninja pokémon's arms glowed white, and it shot towards the tired Sableye. Hikaru smirked. "Sableye, use Fire Sneak!"

Max's eyebrow rose in confusion. He hadn't ever heard of a move like that.

Just before Ninjask reached the Darkness pokémon, Sableye disappeared from sight. An eyeblink later, it appeared out of Ninjask's shadow, its fist alight with red-orange flames. By the time Ninjask realized what had happened, it was too late to dodge. With a harsh cry, Ninjask was knocked backward, almost crashing into the ground. Max, concerned for his pokémon, cried out. "Ninjask, are you alright?"

The Flying/Bug-type shook itself to clear its head. "Nin!"

The Hoenn trainer turned back to his opponent, determination sparking in his eyes. "Ninjask, use Aerial Ace!"

"Sableye, use Thunder Sneak this time!"

Again Ninjask charged at his opponent, and again Sableye disappeared, reappearing in Ninjask's blind spot to slam an electrically charged fist into the Ninja pokémon. Max gritted his teeth. This was a total turnaround situation. Instead of him running rings around Hikaru, the eleven-year-old was now dominating the battle. If he was going to retake the advantage, Max realized, he would have to find a counter for those shadow techniques.

"Ninjask, use Mind Reader, then go after Sableye with X-Scissor!"

Max's pokémon closed its eyes for a moment, as if meditating, then reopened them. A split second later, it charged towards its opponent. Hikaru blinked, surprised. "A frontal attack again? Fine by me! Sableye, finish it with Thunder Sneak!"

As Ninjask reached Sableye, the Darkness pokémon disappeared again, reappearing behind Ninjask, ready to deliver another crippling blow. All of a sudden, the Bug/Flying type wheeled around, and delivered its own attack directly to the body of the stunned Sableye. While the purple-colored pokémon was still reeling from the attack, Ninjask backed out, giving itself some distance. Hikaru gaped, but recovered himself, clenching his fist. Sableye had landed some good hits, but the punishment it had taken early in the match was catching up to it. On the other hand, the two attack he had landed had done massive damage to Ninjask. As a result, both pokémon were panting, although neither looked prepared to give in. The redheaded trainer looked back at Max, both of them realizing that the next attack would be the last.

"Sableye, use Shadow Claw!"

"Ninjask, use X-Scissor!"

The two pokémon blurred towards each other, both reading their attacks. A moment later, they reappeared, having followed through on their attacks, with their backs to each other. Several seconds passed, then, at the same time, both pokémon collapsed, unconscious.

"Neither pokémon is able to continue battling! This match is declared a tie!"

Hikaru and Max both returned their pokémon, offering words of gratitude for their efforts, before approaching each other, smiling as they shook hands.

"That was a good match, Hikaru," complimented Max, "You almost had us with those Sneak attacks. I'm guessing you combined Thunder and Fire Punches with Shadow Sneak?"

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, we've been working on that for a long time. But you found a counter for that, so it still needs work."

Max laughed, shaking his head. "Not unless you can find a way to completely block out all thoughts. I just used Mind Reader, so Ninjask knew where Sableye would be before he moved."

"Yeah, I guess I'll just have to avoid using that attack against pokémon that can read minds," Hikaru remarked, rubbing the back of his head.

The two trainers walked off the field to take a break, still discussing the tactics of their battle. Their conversation was interrupted by May, who ran up to her brother, a smile on her face. "Hey, guys, are you doing anything right now?"

Hikaru and Max both shook their heads, wondering what the sudden feeling of danger was coming from. The older Maple sibling beamed. "Great! That means we can all go to the festival together!"

May grabbed her brother's hand, dragging him with her. For a few seconds, Hikaru felt relieved that he had dodged that bullet…until Dawn appeared out of nowhere, seizing his wrist in a similar vicegrip to the one that May had on Max. Before either trainer could protest, the girls had whisked them away.

-15 Minutes Later, Festival-

"How did we get roped into this again?" wondered Max, as he and Hikaru were dragged to yet another stand by the enthusiastic older girls.

"Because we were too pathetic to put up a fight when they dragged us out," deadpanned Hikaru.

"Aww, look at that Eevee plushy! It's so cuuute!"

"Look at that Buneary one! So adorable!"

Both boys sweatdropped. "Are they…always this…"

"Creepy?" finished Max. Hikaru nodded. Max gave him a shrug. "Not usually. This is actually the worst it gets."

"Ooh, May, look at that Riolu costume!"

"Yeah, it's really cute, but who would we get to wear…"

The girls turned towards Hikaru, an omninous glint in their eyes, and grins that belonged in D-Gray Man. "Hikaru?"

"Yeah, Max?"

Max took one last look at May and Dawn. They were now moving slowly towards the boys, who were moving backward at the same pace. "RUN!"

Hikaru and Max turned and took off like Golbats out of hell, closely pursued by the girls.

"Come on, Hikaru! We promise it won't hurt!"

"NEVER!"

-Several Minutes Later-

"Whoa, baby carriage at 12 o'clock!"

"Turn left!"

"Got it!"

The two boys shot around a corner, sprinting down an alley between two stands, weaving around crates in an attempt to throw off their pursuers. Their efforts were in vain, as May and Dawn were as relentless in their pursuit as a pair of Mightyenas.

"This-is-gasp-insane!" panted Hikaru, "How-gasp-how are they that FAST?"

"Less talking, more running!" shot back Max.

The fleeing boys rounded another corner, to enter the next street, and promptly skidded to a halt. A second afterward, May and Dawn also turned the corner, smashing into the unexpected obstacles, sending all four of them down into a disorganized heap.

"Oow!" groaned May, rubbing her forehead.

"What'd you stop like that for, you guys?" Dawn whined, getting up.

"Shh!" the boys hissed in tandem, "Look!"

Both girls turned toward where their former quarries were pointing.

"What the-!"

"Shh!"

-A Short Distance Away-

"Let's go to that one next!" exclaimed Satoshi, gesturing at one of the many booths lining the street.

Next to him, Misty sighed, shaking her head in amusement. Satoshi, who always seemed composed, if a bit goofy, was behaving almost exactly like a five- year-old would during a festival. 'On the other hand, he _did_ say he had never been to a festival before, which makes sense. If he's telling the truth, he lived in the most dangerous mountains in the world for most of his life.'

Misty's inner monologue was interrupted by Satoshi's hand tugging on her arm, pulling her towards one of the stands, a goldfish-scooping game. Grinning from ear to ear, she explained how to play. 'It doesn't really matter. When he wants to, he'll share his story.'

"What the heck?" exclaimed Max, as he and the others watched Misty demonstrate the game to Satoshi. "What's going on here?"

May giggled. "Isn't it obvious? Misty and Satoshi are on a date!"

Hikaru and Max's jaws dropped at the brunette's statement. "N-no way…"

"Yes way!" Dawn countered, agreeing with her fellow coordinator. "Just look at how comfortable they are with each other!"

Max and Hikaru watched, dumbfounded, as Misty grabbed Satoshi's hand, guiding it evenly down into the water, making a pass at one of the goldfish. Even though the paper scoop missed the fish, neither the redhead nor the hooded trainer was discouraged, instead laughing together. This was the first time any of them had heard Satoshi laugh. It was a pleasant laugh, a cheerful tenor that conveyed the indescribable warmth that comes with genuine happiness. What shocked the small group of onlookers, however, was Misty. None of them could believe what they were hearing. It had been six years since they had heard Misty truly laugh like this, a clear soprano that was filled with the same warmth as Satoshi's. May, always slightly more mature than Dawn, was the first to recover from the shock. Smiling, she turned to her friend. "It's been a long time since we've heard that sound, hasn't it, Dawn?"

The blue-haired girl, realizing what May meant, nodded, the same smile stretching across her face. "Yeah. It looks like Misty finally found someone to help her move on."

The brunette's smile turned slightly sad. "Of all of us, she had the closest relationship with him. When-" May's voice died for a moment, before she cleared her throat. "When it happened, she took it the worst. I don't know if she blamed herself for it, or she blamed him for doing it. Whatever Satoshi did, she's finally opening up again."

Abruptly, both Dawn and May's eyes became slightly glazed over, as they fell into a daydream. "Sigh…If only I could find someone like that…"

Their simultaneous announcement brought sweatdrops from the two boys. 'What happened to the serious mood?'

Satoshi gave a triumphant shout as he finally succeeded in catching one of the goldfish. In a display of immaturity, he jumped up happily, pumping his fist into the air, drawing giggles from Misty. Her giggling was cut short when Satoshi held out the bag containing the fish to her.

"Wha-?"

Satoshi grinned under his cowl. "You're the one who showed me how to play the game. It seems fair that you'd get the prize."

Blushing slightly, but unable to refute her companion's honest logic, she accepted the proffered goldfish. With barely a moment's pause, Satoshi turned, setting off down the street toward the next stand that caught his eye. Misty stared after him for a moment, as the mystery of Satoshi became a little larger within her mind. On her shoulder, Pikachu poked her with his tail, trying to elicit a response. "Pikachupi, pi pika chupi ka?" (Misty, what are you thinking about?)

The redhead shrugged slightly. "Mostly about Satoshi. He really is impossible to figure out."

The yellow mouse grinned. "Chuuuu? Pi Pikachupi ka pichu ka?" (Ohhhh? Does Misty have a crush?)

Misty's face flushed red again. "I do not! We barely know each other. We're friends at the most!"

Her rant was interrupted by Satoshi's voice. "Come on Misty! Hurry up!"

The ex-Gym Leader shook her head, putting aside her pokémon's comments, and caught up to Satoshi.

"Should we follow them?" asked Max, as he and the others watched Misty and Satoshi depart.

"You know, as much as I want to find out what happens on this date, I feel like it wouldn't be right for us to spy on Misty," answered May. "Let's just let them be."

Dawn turned to her friend. "So now what do you want to do?"

May thought for a moment, before an evil smile appeared on her face. "Come to think of it, we still haven't gotten Hikaru to try on that Riolu costume…"

In unison, the girls turned back toward the young redhead. Max and Hikaru both felt a chill run down their spines at the gaze. Before anyone moved, Max released his Sceptile. "Hikaru, when I say run, you run." He whispered, as the boys slowly backed away.

A moment later, Max sprang into action. "Sceptile, use Flash!" As the blinding light flared, Max returned his pokémon, turned to the younger boy, who had shielded his eyes. "Hikaru, RUN!"

Both boys took off, leaving the still-blinded girls in the dust. A few seconds later, May and Dawn set off in pursuit.

"COME BACK HERE, HIKARU!"

-Two Hours Later-

Misty sighed contentedly as she and Satoshi walked side by side on the promenade, the late afternoon sun painting the ocean a brilliant orange. In her arms she held a Riolu plushy that Satoshi had won for her at one of the stands. When she asked him why he gave it to her, he just shrugged, saying that he didn't need a reason to give a friend a gift. Had she looked closer, she might have noticed a slight reddening of Satoshi's visible face, but she hadn't, and had taken his words at face value.

Lost in their own thoughts, neither Misty nor Satoshi noticed the man coming the other way until Satoshi ran into him.

"Hey!" growled the man, grabbing onto Satoshi's cloak, "Watch where you're going, punk!"

Satoshi didn't even flinch, despite the fact that the large baldheaded man was at least a head taller and 20 kilos heavier. However, Satoshi still offered a bow to the angry Biker. "Sumimasen, I wasn't paying attention. Please accept my apologies."

"You're damn right you're gonna be sorry!" the still-fuming man spat, glaring at Satoshi. Abruptly, his eyes found Misty, and a gleam appeared in them. "Well, well, what do we have here?" His eyes roved up and down Misty's figure, and he licked his lips. "What's a hot little thing like you doing with a piece of trash like this? Why don't you ditch this loser and let Big Dave show you a good time?"

Misty shuddered. This guy made her feel dirty, the way he stared at her. She was about to open her mouth to tell him to get lost, but Satoshi suddenly placed himself between them.

"Please," the hooded trainer began, "There's no need to bring her into this argument. She hasn't done anything to you, this is just between you and me."

"Fine by me," the large Biker sneered, pulling a pokéball from his belt, "I'll just humiliate you first! Go, Machamp!"

Satoshi still did not flinch, even when the towering mass of muscle that was Machamp appeared in front of him. He instead turned to Misty, an apologetic grin on his face. "Gomen, Waterflower-san, but I think you should give us some room."

Turning back to the belligerent man, Satoshi unclipped a pokéball, expanding it to full size. Glancing back at his opponent, the hooded trainer offered a slight bow, before straightening and addressing the Biker. "What battle type will you prefer, Dave-san?"

The bald man sneered. "We'll settle this like men, with a tandem battle!"

Satoshi cocked his head, puzzled. "I'm not familiar with that type of battle. May I ask what it is?"

"Satoshi!" Misty called from the sidelines, "A Tandem Battle is when the trainers fight each other, and their pokémon fight alongside them. It's fairly new, it was only invented in the past year, so you probably didn't hear about it where you were!"

"Hah!" snorted Dave. "Where have you been, under a rock?"

Satoshi grinned again, shrugging his shoulders. "Does it matter? Sengen, Hirumanai!" he called, tossing out his own pokéball. The light faded, revealing his Lucario to already be in battle stance. Satoshi himself did not take a stance, instead standing with one hand in his pocket, the other making a 'come on' gesture. "Watashi ni kuru!" (Come at me)

Dave laughed. "Alright then! I'll hit you with all I've got! Machamp, use Vacuum Wave!" As the Superpower pokémon swiped at the air, launching an airless pocket at its opponents, Dave surged forward, his massive fist rocketing toward the hooded trainer. Satoshi and his pokémon barely moved, allowing the attack to strike the ground immediately in front of them, launching a cloud of dust into the air. A second later, the Biker's fist struck where Satoshi was standing- and stopped dead. To both his shock and the shock of the onlookers, Dave could not move his fist. The dust cloud began to settle, as Dave continued to struggle to pull back his fist from whatever was gripping it, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead from the exertion. "Wha-What the hell is this?"

"So this is your full strength?" came Satoshi's voice from the dust cloud. "How_ disappointing_."

A gust of wind startlingly similar to Misty's earlier outburst rushed outward from the dust, clearing it away.

Dave's jaw dropped, followed shortly by those of the crowd that had gathered. Satoshi hadn't moved, but was simply standing directly in front of the massive Biker, holding the man's huge fist in place…with just his thumb and forefinger.

"Wha-?"

The Ursaring-like man was interrupted by Satoshi's free hand drawing backward. "I can't use my full strength, but at the very least I'll show you some of my power." The cocked fist shot forward, slamming into Dave's gut. "**Ao Shōgeki.**" (Blue Shock).

As the punch sunk into the Biker, Misty heard a dull thump, and a faint blue flare of energy erupted at the point of impact. At the same moment, Dave shot backwards, flying into his Machamp hard enough to knock them both back several meters. Ignoring the crunching sound of several dozen watchers' jaws hitting the ground simultaneously, Satoshi now dropped into a battle stance. "Get up, that wasn't nearly enough to finish you."

True to Satoshi's words, the Biker pushed himself to his feet, holding his gut in pain. "What kind of puch was that?"

Satoshi didn't answer, repeating his previous beckoning gesture. Growling, his opponent obliged, charging forward and launching his fist again at the hooded trainer. Once again, Satoshi caught the punch without effort, only for the Biker's other hand to come flying towards his face. Much to the surprise of the bystanders, Dave didn't look angry at all when his second punch was intercepted by Satoshi other hand. The reason for his smirk became clear a second later, as Dave grabbed Satoshi's hands with his own. "Machamp, use Bullet Punch!"

Misty couldn't help herself from gasping as the Fighting type launched the barrage of puches toward Satoshi's back. Even if Satoshi was stronger than any other person she'd ever met, a direct attack like that would cause massive harm to the hooded trainer. Her fears proved groundless, as a blue and tan blur shot between the trainer and the attacking pokémon. Before the Bullet Puch could even reach the new arrival, Machamp was blasted backward by a blazing foot, courtesy of the blur, which now resolved into Satoshi's Lucario. Misty sighed in relief. "Phew…"

Dave gritted his teeth as his favorite tactic was perfectly countered. "Grr…Machamp, use Focus Bl-Ugh!"

Dave's command was cut off by both of Satoshi's feet striking his chest like a charging Tauros. "**Soshō Ao Shōgeki.**" (Twin Blue Shock).

In a similar fashion to the previous punch, a pair of small blue sparks flared at the point where each foot impacted the Biker's chest. This time, though, the impact sent him flying back nearly twenty meters. For several seconds, the audience was too shocked to even breathe. Eventually, the Biker struggled to his feet, doubled over in pain. Slowly, painfully, he staggered back toward Satoshi. "Pant…Pant…Ugh…what…what kind of monster are you?"

Satoshi did not answer, turning instead to another Biker nearby. "You know this guy?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, he does this sort of thing a lot."

"He might need to go to the hospital now. I avoided damaging any of his internal organs, but I'm pretty sure that last one broke a couple of his ribs. He probably shouldn't fight for the next several weeks."

"Like hell I'm giving up!" yelled Dave, fury etched across his face. "Machamp, use Focus Blast!"

Obediently, the Fighting type charged and released the incredibly powerful attack. Someone in the crowd screamed, and those in the immediate vicinity of Satoshi scattered, desperately trying to escape the oncoming devastation. Satoshi himself didn't budge an inch, dispassionately watching as the attack shot towards him. In a similar fashion, his Lucario showed no sign of moving, either to take the attack or flee from it.

"**Ao Mukō.**" (Blue Void)

A translucent blue barrier sprang into existence in front of the attack just moments before it struck Satoshi. Misty flinched, expecting the barrier to either shatter or for the attack to explode against it. Much to her shock, it was neither. The attack struck the barrier…and disappeared. Satoshi looked back at Dave and his Machamp, who were wearing nearly identical expressions of disbelief. "Now _that_ wasn't very polite, was it?" Satoshi chided, raising a hand toward his opponents. His hand curled into a fist, leaving only his index and middle fingers extended, aimed at the confused Biker and pokémon. At the tip of each finger, an orb of blue energy swirled into existence, no more than a centimeter wide.

In the shadows, a watching figure twitched. 'Is that….?'

"**Ōra-kyū.**" (Aura Sphere)

Before either target could react, Satoshi fired the attack. The small marble-sized spheres pelted toward Dave and Machamp, striking them a fraction of a second later. The orbs detonated on impact, flinging both Dave and his pokémon back at least fifty meters, where they fell to the ground, unconscious. After a moment's pause, Satoshi turned, walking back towards Misty, his Lucario remaining a step behind him. Misty blinked as he offered her his arm. Blushing, she slipped her arm through his, and the two walked off, leaving a still-shocked crowd and a still-unconscious duo.

-Several Minutes Later-

"I must thank you for such a wonderful afternoon, Waterflower-san."

"No, the pleasure was all mine, Satoshi-kun. And please, call me Misty."

The two trainers stood facing each other outside the Pokémon Center where Misty was staying, the almost-gone sun turning the sky into a brilliant display of orange and pink.

Satoshi smiled happily. "Then, Misty-chan, thank you very much for spending time with me," he replied, bringing her hand up to his mouth and kissing her fingers, an archaic gesture that made Misty flush deep red.

"Y-Yes, you're welcome."

Satoshi straightened, turning to leave. "Hopefully we can do it again soon. Sayonara, Misty-chan, Pikachu."

"Pika, Chukapi!"

Misty smiled as the hooded trainer turned a corner, disappearing from view. Sighing, she turned toward the distant ocean, looking at the sun's reflection on the water. "You wouldn't mind, would you Ash? You'd want me to be happy."

"Pi, Pikachupi." Agreed the yellow mouse, also smiling.

-A short distance away-

The shadow dashed across the rooftops, the fight he had witnessed still fresh in his mind. 'She needs to know about this as soon as possible.'

**Hello again, everyone, and Happy New Year! Yes, it's me CracktheSkye! I'm so sorry this chapter took a long time, but school and other activities conspired to fill up my schedule, and I didn't have time to write this chapter until break. I'm also sorry this chapter is so short, and that it probably lacks much interest, but in the name of Plot Development, I had to include a fluff and character development chapter, and I have discovered something unfortunate: I SUCK at writing fluff. SUMIMASEN! SUMIMASEN! SUMIMASEN! *Bows head to floor*. So, this chapter is dedicated to aamlfan18, for encouraging me enough to get this chapter written. Arigatō gozaiimasu, 18-san! Next chapter, we'll get to see Satoshi's 5****th**** Pokémon get introduced, plus more plot development, and, of course, battles. Thank you for visiting, please take a mint and leave a review on your way out! P.S.: Does anyone know how to include those awesome scene break lines? Fanfiction keeps deleting them from my uploads. **

**Ja ne!**


	5. Movement Four: Darkest Before Dawn

Disclaimer: Come to think of it…I don't own Pokémon! I shall not stand for this injustice any longer! Baroness-chan! Ready the tranquilizer rifles and the torture equipment! We're going to Japan!

"Hai, Nii-san!"

Yeah, still don't own, but ask us again in a month. HEHEHEHEHE…

Movement 04: Darkest before Dawn

Chapter Theme: Dance of the Hours [Composed by Amilcare Ponchielli]

Tayuminai's Theme: Overture to Barber of Seville [Composed by Giaochino Rossini]

Rocket Theme: All Hail Britannia! [Code Geass OST 1]

* * *

><p>-Somewhere on Sennichi no Shima, 11:00 PM-<p>

"Are all units ready?"

"They are, Giovanni-dono."

The head of Team Rocket nodded, stroking his Persian. "Begin."

"At once, sir!" The underling pressed a button on the console he was standing behind. At the same time, across the island, green lights switched on in dark rooms, signaling the occupants of those rooms to carry out their orders. Headlights switched on, and several dark-colored vans departed from hidden locations. Once each van reached its destination, the doors on the back opened, disgorging black-clad figures, which quickly moved to accomplish their assigned tasks.

In the hidden command center from which the operation was being observed, a man dressed in a white Rocket uniform turned to his superior. "All units are proceeding without detection, Giovanni-sama. Do you wish to stay and observe the entire operation?"

The man in the expensive suit shook his head. "No, I believe I will retire to my quarters. I leave this operation in your capable hands, Vice-Executive Saturn. Present your report after the operation is complete."

The man bowed. "As you wish, Giovanni-sama!"

Giovanni did not return the bow, electing instead to turn and leave the command center.

-Woods of Sennichi no Shima, Several minutes later-

The two black vans rolled to a stop, concealed from prying eyes by the thicket of leaves and branches, and, just like a dozen other vans across the island, the back doors opened, and sixteen Rocket Grunts spilled out. One of them, brown-haired and green-eyed, grumbled as he emerged. "Two hours sitting cramped in there with all the gear! You'd think they'd buy bigger vans at this point!"

His partner rolled brown eyes in response. "Stop whining. It's your fault for picking the seat in the back corner because you were so eager to get in."

"Urusai!" (Shut up)

"Both of you be quiet!" snapped the group leader. "We have a job to do!"

Chastened, the two quarreling members rejoined the rest of the squad, moving deeper into the forest, carrying their equipment with them. The woods weren't quiet in the least, as bushes rustled, twigs snapped, and the calls of nocturnal pokémon filled the trees. Most trainers would be unnerved by the woods at night, but these were hardened Team Rocket commandos. The only things they feared were reporting a failure to their Boss.

Silently, the group proceeded onward, until they stopped at a signal from the team leader. Without speaking, the Rocket members spread out, and began setting up their equipment. Within an hour, a command post had been set up, and the team leader was transmitting his first report. On the edge of the camp, the two operatives that had been reprimanded were setting up a motion detector, talking quietly to each other.

"Ngh…Hold it steady…alright, done," the green-eyed one grunted, as he attached the pod to a tree, then stepped away. "Aaaand…yep, we're done."

_Crack._

At the sound of a large twig snapping immediately behind them, both Rockets spun, pulling pokéballs from their belts. Seeing their comrades' action, the other commandos in the clearing all tensed, the closer ones also drawing pokéballs.

The bushes rustled, and the light brown face of a curious Leafeon poked out. The humans relaxed.

"Just a Leafeon," murmured one of the members further away.

The green-eyed Rocket member turned to his team leader, a question on his face. "Team policy is that any valuable wild pokémon encountered on missions are fair game, right boss?"

The senior Rocket nodded. "Go ahead, we're just about done here."

The lower-ranking operative and his partner both turned back toward the Leafeon, twisted smirks on their faces. One pulled out a pokéball, and started moving slowly forward. At the same time, the Grass-type, instinctually realizing what they wanted, began to back away.

"Come on, just get in the ball. We're not going to hurt you." The words were reassuring, but the face and tone were all wrong. The two Rocket members took another step forward, and the Verdant pokémon turned and fled. Grinning at the prospects of a hunt, the two humans followed in hot pursuit.

* * *

><p>'Run! Run! Don't look back, they'll catch you! Left, go left. Double back, maybe they'll miss you… Arceus-damnit! They're <em>right there<em>! Back away slowly, maybe they won't…oh Toxic! Go, go, GO! Wait, I recognize that rock…oh no. No! No! I've got to get them away from here! Quick! Toward that clearing! They can't get near that rock! I can't let it happen!'

* * *

><p>Satoshi and his pokémon were resting and recovering from the long day. Hirumanai was lightly practicing his katas, while Taifuu stretched out on the grass. Satoshi himself was leaning against Sorahime's side, Yugana's head resting on his shoulder. The hooded trainer chuckled at his last pokémon. Of his four companions, the Shiny Gardevoir was the most emotional and affectionate. Closing his eyes, he let his mind drift back…<p>

_-Yugana used Flashback!-_

_Five Years Ago, Somewhere in the Kami-Kyoku no Yama_

"_Ugh…" groaned Satoshi, as he pulled himself up the side of a gully in the dense forest that grew in the valleys of the Kami-Kyoku no Yama. "Damn it Aaron-sensei, what was the point of dropping us off three mountains over and telling us to find our way home?"_

_**Yeah, what the hell was that jerk thinking?**__ Agreed Hirumanai, as his partner pulled him up over the edge of the ravine. __**One minute we're training, the next he gets us onto his Pidgeot, flies us out, and just dumps us, yelling over his shoulder that we need to make it home by tomorrow!**_

_Satoshi chuckled at his companion's small rant, shaking his head as he leaned against the bark of a nearby tree. 'Well, at least he left us off in a pretty safe region. If he had taken us another five klicks to the west, we would be fighting for our lives right now.'_

_Hirumanai nodded, as he rested against an upthrust rock, catching their breath after the clamber up the ravine. The two sat in companionable silence for several minutes, before Satoshi sighed, standing up. 'Well, we should get a move on. I want to get out of this valley before nightfall, so tomorrow we only have to cross the next valley and climb back up to the cabin.'_

_The Emanation pokémon nodded, and the two began to trek further up the wooded valley, only to stop upon hearing a pained cry. _

_Satoshi and Hirumanai didn't even stop to look at each other. The moment they registered the cry, they were bounding through the trees toward the source of the sound. Less than a minute later, they found it. _

_A pack of Mightyenas had closed ranks around a smaller pokémon, although Satoshi couldn't see what species it was. They were taking turns snapping at whatever it was, having backed it up against the tree. Ordinarily Satoshi would have turned and left. It was natural for Mightyenas to hunt other pokémon, they were carnivores. But from what the trainer and his pokémon could sense, this pack of Mightyenas had no intention of eating their victim- they were toying with it._

_With a growl that sounded almost exactly like Hirumanai's, Satoshi leapt forward, his fists clenched. _

_His first target, an ugly brute with a mess of scars on its snout, didn't even see the hit coming, and went flying across the clearing. The remaining members of the pack, startled, turned to Satoshi, snarling. They didn't notice the small pokémon behind them, fury in his eyes._

"_Hiru, use Blaze Kick!"_

_The small Fighting-type complied, blasting a Mightyena in the head with either foot. At the same time, Satoshi launched an unstable fist-sized sphere of energy at another Mightyena, the subsequent explosion propelling the Bite pokémon into one of its brethren. Satoshi didn't waste any time, leaping into the air, spinning rapidly, dispatching another Mightyena at the end of his jump with a powerful kick that was made even more so by his high-speed rotation. "Hiru, use Low Kick, then Bullet Punch!"_

_The Emanation pokémon crouched low and sent his foot scything outward, breaking the front two legs of a nearby Mightyena, then proceeded to turn and launch a blistering barrage of bullet-like bludgeoning fists at three other Mightyena. None of them even had a chance to counterattack, collapsing to the ground like puppets whose strings had been cut. On the other side of the clearing, a single Mightyena managed to gather itself enough to fire off a Shadow Ball at Satoshi. In response, the black-haired amnesiac conjured a disc of blue energy. It was roughly formed, and barely held long enough to stop Ghost-type attack. All the same, the Mightyena's surprise at its opponents move distracted it enough for Hirumanai to hit it with another Blaze Kick._

_In less than thirty seconds, the entire battle was over, and eleven Mightyena were scattered about the clearing, either unconscious or unable to battle anymore. Dismissing their defeated opponents, Satoshi and Riolu turned toward the tree where the Mightyena had backed their victim into a corner. Trembling in between two roots that were wide enough for it to fit into was a small blue and white pokémon._

"_A Kirlia?" Satoshi questioned, surprised. "Now how did a little one like you get lost out here? This is no place for a lower evolution."_

_The Kirlia didn't know who this strange human was, but she could sense what he was. She reached out with her mind, hesitantly, and touched his thoughts. Upon contact, her eyes widened. Never before had she met such a pure soul, not even in her mother. She felt something within her heart leap for joy, and, without hesitating, leapt into his arms, opening her mind fully to him at the same time._

_Satoshi gasped, but it wasn't from the sudden impact of the Psychic type into his chest. It was the shock of his mind experiencing everything that this Kirlia was in less than a second. From the creation of her egg, to the moment she met him, every thought, action, fear, and emotion played out on the landscape of his mind. If it had been any other pokémon or human save Hirumanai, it would have overwhelmed him, but the sheer _purity _of this Kirlia's entire being rivaled that of Lady Mew's. There was not a single blemish to be found upon her soul, and thus, her identity bore no threat towards his own sense of self. _

_When the flash of insight had passed, Satoshi looked down at the Shiny pokémon that still clung to his chest. With a glance at Hirumanai, who had also experienced the Psychic type's…unique…introduction through his bond with Satoshi, the trainer knew that he could no longer simply deliver her back to the forest she had mistakenly teleported from. To leave her now would be like leaving a piece of themselves behind. Smiling, the amnesiac looked down at the smiling Kirlia, gently prying her off his body. Unlike what many others would do when removed from an embrace like that, the Kirlia did not feel hurt or rejected. She knew this human and pokémon far too well now for her to suspect that of them. She simply waited for Satoshi to speak._

"_Well, I think you know we can't just let you go off on your own now…would like to come with us?"_

_The Kirlia smiled even wider, and began dancing around the clearing. "KIRLI LI A!"_

_Satoshi smiled. "Welcome to the team…" he searched for a name that suited the second-stage evolution. Thinking over the entirety of what he had experienced through the Psychic type's connection, a word floated to the top of his mind. "…Yugana."_

_-Reader woke up! Reader is beside itself with rage!-_

'Yes, that was a most interesting day…' Satoshi chuckled, his mind returning to the present. At his chuckle, Yugana sat up, her eyes questioning for a moment, before twinkling in amusement, as she sensed what he had been thinking of. **Yes, it was…no, it still is the best day of my life.**

Satoshi laughed again, but before he could make a response, a green and brown blur shot into the clearing, and slammed into him full-tilt. Surprised, but sensing no ill will from the living projectile, the amnesiac trainer set down the Leafeon he had reflexively caught, looking at it with concern. "Daijōbudesuka, Shinrin no Musume?" (Are you okay, Forest Daughter?)

The Leafeon looked at the human she had run into with awe. After a moment of stunned silence, the Grass-type recovered, and began to rapidly babble out what was happening in Pokéspeech. As she finished, a crashing sound came from the side of the clearing that she had bolted from, and the two Rocket members emerged, panting, but still grinning.

"Well now, looks like it's all over for you, isn't it?" grinned one of the Rocket members, pulling out a pokéball. "Come on now, get into the ball."

Satoshi stood up, patting the trembling Leafeon on the head. "Yu-chan, take care of her for me. I think someone needs to be taught a lesson." He stated, cracking his knuckles and taking a step forward, shielding the Grass type from the approaching Rocket agents.

The black-haired Rocket raised an eyebrow, smirking maliciously. "And just what are you going to do, punk? You think you can stop Team Rocket from taking what we want?"

Satoshi shrugged off the remark. "Depends. What is it you want with this pokémon?"

The brown-eyed Rocket grinned. "Simple. We're going to force her to lay as many eggs as possible, and then we're going to sell her on the black market. Leafeons always fetch a pretty good price."

For a moment, Satoshi didn't say anything. Then, he looked back at the Rocket members, his mouth underneath his hood a thin line. "I see."

The Rockets gasped, as gravity seemed to triple, nearly sending them to the ground. Shaking, they struggled to remain on their feet, as their hooded opponent took a step forward. Panicking, they release their pokémon, ordering them to attack.

"Haunter, use Shadow Claw!"

"Honchkrow, use Night Slash!"

The released pokémon shot towards their target without hesitation, claws at the ready, only for two blurs to intercept the attacks, and knocking both Rocket pokémon out. The blurs resolved into Hirumanai and Taifuu, rage blazing in their eyes. Satoshi had shown no reaction to his pokémon's actions, merely continuing his slow march towards his own targets.

Sheer terror forced the Rocket agents into motion, as they turned, fleeing wildly into the woods. Branches scratched their faces, but the only thing that currently mattered to these two was the primeval fear racing through their systems, focused on only one objective: survival.

Finally gaining some control over themselves, the fleeing criminals slowed, taking cover behind a tree. Gasping for breath, one managed to choke out a question. "Can…can you see him?"

The other Rocket member peered around the tree, searching for any sign of the vengeful stranger. "I don't see…"

_Swish_

He paused as he felt a gust of wind behind him. "What was that?" For some reason, his partner didn't answer. Turning, he opened his mouth to repeat himself. "I said-"

He froze.

His partner was gone.

Somewhere in the dark of the woods, he heard a scream.

Not even stopping to scream, the terrified Rocket flew through the trees, sheer terror lending wings to his heels. Three times he tripped over a root or fallen branch, and dragged himself to his feet, disregarding the gashes sharp rocks left in his arms and chest. After what felt like an eternity, the Rocket agent burst into the command post, promptly falling to his knees, gasping and panting. "He…he got…Akira!"

The team leader frowned at him, looking confused. "What are you talking about? Akira's right next to you."

Looking where his commanding officer was pointing, the exhausted Rocket turned to the left. His jaw dropped. There, also on his hands and knees in exhaustion, was his comrade, who was wearing an identical expression of shock.

"What the-?"

A stick snapped behind them, leaving them no time to question each other. As one, the entire squad drew their pokéballs, as a hooded figure emerged from the shadows of the trees, an anticipatory grin visible underneath his hood.

"Well, look what I found."

Moments later, screams echoed through the forest.

* * *

><p>-5 minutes earlier, Cynthia's residence-<p>

Cynthia had remained buried in her work since Misty and Sabrina departed earlier that day. She had brought a fair collection of her older tomes, to amuse herself during the tournament, which afforded her sufficient information that she didn't have to boot up her computer. Cynthia enjoyed watching the matches, yes, but sometimes the blonde Champion needed to spend some time amongst her beloved books.

Sabrina and Misty had just happened to give her a perfect opportunity to do so. She had spent the past several hours happily immersed in the obscure scripts that were some of the only relics of ancient kingdoms and their knowledge, searching for any record of the powers Satoshi displayed.

She had found nothing.

One would expect Cynthia to be somewhat discouraged by such a result. After all, she had just spent a large amount of time cross-referencing ancient Pokégyptian glyphs with Pokélantean runes, painstakingly deciphering texts that told stories of long-dead heroes, and legions of prophets who performed miraculous deeds, only to come up with nothing that carried all of the described abilities.

But Cynthia was a Champion, and in order to become Champion, trainers had to relish challenges, nearly to the point of addiction. And Cynthia fit that description very well. Far from being put off by such a setback, she instead became even more excited. Here was a puzzle that she could sink her teeth into! A task that would require hours, days even, to complete!

The Champion was so immersed in her work that it took several minutes for the sound of a knock on her back door to register. Growling at the interruption, she pushed her chair out from her desk, stalking to the door and yanking it open. "What is – oh, Koga! Is there something I can do for you?"

"I have important information, Cynthia-dono."

The Elite Four Member inclined his head respectfully, causing Cynthia to roll her eyes. Sometimes, Koga's overly respectful attitude annoyed her. "Oh stop that, Koga! You know that I don't like being treated like that! I know that it's a habit from your ninja training, but honestly! We're friends, aren't we?"

Koga almost bowed his head again, but caught himself just before doing it. "Sumimasen, Cynthia-d…san." (Please excuse me).

The blonde sighed, before beckoning the Ninja Master into her house. "Come in. No use standing out here."

The Poison-type Elite followed her into her sitting room, sitting down across from her. "So, what great mystery will you unravel for me today?" she asked, a grin crossing her face.

Koga did not smile in return, instead delivering his tale. "I was following Satoshi-san today."

Cynthia's eyebrows rose. "Small world…please continue."

"We all noticed his unusual abilities today at the match, so I decided to observe him from the shadows. He showed up at Misty-san's match earlier this afternoon. It may also interest you that Misty-san seems to finally have snapped. She battled against someone who bore several similarities to Ash-dono, and lost her temper when he sent out a Pikachu. She dismantled his strategy with anger I haven't seen the likes of in years. It was frightening."

Cynthia winced. Maybe she shouldn't have brought up Ash to Misty earlier.

Koga continued. "After the match, Misty-san went to a small park, probably to blow off steam. Anyway, Satoshi followed her there, and he must have said something quite meaningful to her, because she cheered up rather quickly. He proceeded to ask her if she would show him around the fair."

Here Cynthia grinned. "Let me guess; she shot him down like an Ice Beam to a Dragonite, right?"

Koga shook his head. "No. She agreed, and they went to the festival together."

Cynthia's jaw dropped. She had _not _expected that.

"They spent a while at the festival. Satoshi-san won a game, and gave Misty-san the prize from it. He may have a crush developing on her, as he flushed red when he gave it to her." Koga paused, frowning. "At least, I think he did. It was hard to tell with the hood he wears. Anyway, after they left the festival, they walked along the sea for a while."

Cynthia almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. After six years of rejecting every attempt at her heart, Misty was now offering it freely to a total stranger. This was as strange – no, it was stranger than Satoshi's own abilities. "And then?"

"Satoshi accidentally ran into a rather angry Biker, who decided to challenge him to a Tandem Battle. Satoshi won, hands down. He and his Lucario have frightening teamwork, let alone sheer power. Satoshi's punches and kicks were strong enough to send a hundred-kilo Biker flying. At the end of the battle, the Biker lost his temper and ordered his Machamp to use Focus Blast." Koga politely ignored Cynthia's gasp at the breach of battling etiquette. To use such a devastating attack in a Tandem Battle had been expressly forbidden. "Satoshi summoned some sort of barrier that completely blocked the incoming attack, and absorbed it at the same time. What he did next though…" Koga's throat dried, and he swallowed before dropping the bombshell. "He created Aura Spheres, Cynthia-san. _Satoshi is an Aura user!_"

Cynthia's eyes widened, and she found herself speechless. An Aura user! It was one of the rarest abilities in the world amongst humans. In fact, the only known Aura use was Riley, and, to her knowledge, he hadn't found anyone else with an Aura strong enough to train. She stood, and Koga mimicked her, finished with his story. "Koga, I want you to continue to monitor Satoshi. We don't know where or how he gained Aura powers, so he may or may not be a threat, but we can't take any chances when it comes to Aura users. I'm going to contact Riley immediately. He's probably the only one who might know anything about any other Aura users."

The Poison-type Elite nodded, bowed, and disappeared in a swish of his cloak. Cynthia turned towards her computer, booting it up and establishing a connection to Iron Island. While she was waiting for the call to go through, she thought about the powers Satoshi had displayed.

'Just what are you, Satoshi?'

* * *

><p>-Forest of Sennichi no Shima-<p>

A twig snapped on the edge of the clearing, drawing the attention of Leafeon and Sorahime. Yugana did not turn, already knowing who it was. The approaching figure stepped into the clearing, and the Grass-type and Kanto starter both relaxed when they realized that it was Satoshi.

"Those Rockets won't be bothering you again," the hooded Aura user announced, showing no sign of the fight he had just been in. He stopped and crouched in front of the Leafeon, patting her on the head like she was a wayward child. "You're safe now. Go back to your burrow."

The Leafeon nodded, trotting over to the edge of the clearing, but stopped just before she entered the woods. She turned back to look at Satoshi, then crooked her tail like she was beckoning him to follow her. "Leaf eon!" (Come on!)

Satoshi, puzzled, looked over at Yugana for some indication of Leafeon's thoughts, but received only a gentle smile and a nod of the head. Sighing, he turned back to the Grass-type, and smiled.

"Lead on, Shinrin no Musume."

The Leafeon smiled, then turned again and set off into the woods, Satoshi following close behind.

They walked for several minutes, until they reached a large rock that jutted out of the ground. At the base of the rock, under a slight overhang, was a large hole dug into the earth. Leafeon disappeared into the hole, and Satoshi crouched down outside, peering deeper into the hole. Two meters further under the rock, he could see that the burrow widened into a rounded chamber. There, sitting on a bed of grass, leaves, and straw, were…

"Aha," mused Satoshi. "So this is why you didn't run straight to your burrow."

Nestled in the bed of foliage were four eggs. This Leafeon was a mother.

Satoshi smiled. "I'm very glad I was able to help you. I hope that all of them grow up strong."

He bowed his head, and began to get up to leave, but was stopped by the Grass-type's insistent call. "Leaf!" (Wait!)

A moment later, the Leafeon came back out of the burrow. Wrapped in her tail was one of her eggs, which she placed in front of a shocked Satoshi. Reverently, he picked up the egg, looking at the mother with a question clear in his just-visible eyes.

"For me?"

At the enthusiastic nod of the Grass type, Satoshi bowed his head in gratitude.

"You honor me, Shinrin no Musume. I promise you that your child shall become one of the strongest pokémon to ever live, one you can be proud of. This I swear to you on my life."

The Leafeon nodded in response, and Satoshi turned and left the clearing, the egg cradled within his arms.

-Several minutes later, Satoshi's Clearing-

**I see you found out what she wanted to give to you, Satoshi-kun.**The hooded trainer rolled his eyes. If he didn't know better, he could have sworn Yugana sounded _smug_.

"Mm. Looks like we'll have a new member of the family soon." At this, Yugana's eyes took on a joyful glint. As the self-proclaimed "den mother" of their team, it was usually the Psychic type's job to keep all of them in line. She was usually the one who broke up the quarrels between Taifuu and Sorahime, and was the one who held Hirumanai and Satoshi down when they were training themselves past their limits and forced them to go to sleep.

"You like the idea of raising a baby? You're more of a mother Blaziken than I thought." Across the clearing, Sorahime snickered. To anyone else, though, it probably sounded like an angry snarl. A tic mark appeared on Yugana's forehead, and Sorahime suddenly was levitated off the ground, and held head-down. Yugana smiled sweetly, and Satoshi, Taifuu, and Hirumanai, who had followed behind Satoshi, shuddered. You didn't need to be able to sense Aura to know that there was an ominous feeling hanging around Yugana.

**Something you'd like to say, Sora-chan?**

"Rrrrr…." (Not really…) Sorahime growled nervously. Yugana was _scary_ when she was angry.

Yugana beamed. **Wonderful!**

Then she let go of the telekinetic hold she had over Sorahime. The Kanto starter crashed to the ground. _Hard_.

"Grrooo…" (Ouch…)

Yugana turned to the three males. **And you three?**

They paled, and shook their heads rapidly.

"I-Iye, Yu-chan." (No).

"Z-Zel." (N-No.)

**No, nothing at all.**

The Gardevoir's eyes narrowed, and she floated a little closer to the three males, who tensed.

The air seemed to thicken, as the trainer and his two pokémon prepared to face the scariest thing they could conceive – an angry female. Anticipating Yugana's possible violence, Satoshi summoned a barely-visible screen of aura around the egg he still held. Just as it seemed inevitable that there would be violence, a sound rent the air. The sound repeated itself, and all present found their eyes drawn to the source. In Satoshi's arms, the egg trembled, and cracked again.

It was hatching.

Within moments, everyone in the clearing was clustered around Satoshi, as he set the egg down gently on the grass. Sorahime brought her tail around, the radiant heat from the brightly burning tail fire warming the air around the impromptu hatching nest. Acting on instincts that were ancient when castles were new, Hirumanai and Taifuu immediately took up protective postures, searching for anything that might pose a threat to the hatching egg. It didn't matter if it was from another species; it was family, and therefore it was to be protected.

The egg cracked again, shuddered, and burst open.

In the remnants of the egg, eyes still closed against the remnants of the fluid within the egg, was an Eevee. Like most of its – no, Satoshi realized, stealing a quick glance at the underbelly – _her _species, the young Normal-type was mostly light brown, with a cream-colored ruff around her neck and a tail tipped with the same light color. The fur was slightly damp, as was expected of a newly hatched pokémon, but would be dried off within a few minutes. Two foxlike ears stuck up from the Evolution pokémon's head, and all four paws looked uniform and normal. All in all, the Eevee appeared to be perfectly normal, no pun intended. But appearances aren't everything, as Satoshi could attest to. What he _felt _from this Eevee…

**Master, this one is…**

"Yes, Hiru, I know. No newborn Eevee's Aura should be that strong."

At that exact moment, the young pokémon's eyes opened, and the pokémon and human present all received another surprise. As opposed to the usual dark brown of a typical Eevee's eyes, this Eevee's large irises were a shade of brilliant blue, and seemed to dance with intelligence and curiosity.

The brand-new pokémon looked Satoshi in the eye, and the Aura-user felt a strange presence brush against his being, almost the same as when he first met Yugana. What was different from his first encounter with the caring Psychic-type was that this contact did not originate from mental contact.

It was through his Aura.

As the presence pushed itself into his mind, Satoshi continued to stare into the strange eyes of the Eevee in front of him, and came to a conclusion that, despite its obviousness, was almost unbelievable.

This Eevee, this newly hatched Normal-type pokémon, could use Aura. As impossible as it seemed, the evidence sat right in front of him.

The Eevee's curious mental probe now had pushed firmly against his own, and Satoshi felt the juvenile presence clumsily trying to imprint a thought onto his mind.

**Pa…pa?**

Smiling, Satoshi reached out toward the young pokémon, gently caressing the top of the Eevee's head.

'Yes, little one. I'm your Papa.'

The Eevee's face lit up, and she leapt forward into Satoshi chest, nuzzling against him with a happy cry, repeating out loud what she had already expressed through her supernatural ability.

"Veevee!" (Papa!)

All the other pokémon present smiled at Satoshi, who embraced the young pokémon as warmly as if she was indeed his own child. At the same time, he opened his mind to her, filling her mind with knowledge. He had done the same when Hirumanai had hatched. Aside from possibly a Psychic-type, the only pokémon that could withstand such an inflow of information was one who could reach its aura. Satoshi poured knowledge into the young Normal-type. He gave her knowledge of battles, and understanding of the world around her. But most importantly, he gave her knowledge of Aura. Everything he and Hirumanai had learned and discovered over all their years of using it was presented to the baby pokémon, and was eagerly absorbed with sparkling eyes and a tail wagging so rapidly that Sorahime joked that it might burst into flames, much to the momentary alarm of the Eevee, who spent a few seconds frantically trying to see if her tail was actually on fire, before realizing it was actually a joke.

From the moment that she heard of battling, the young Eevee declared, both verbally and nonverbally, that she was going to be a strong battler, and "make her Papa proud." This declaration had warmed Satoshi's heart with pride, and at the same time, sent a stab of fear into his heart. In the two hours since she had hatched, the blue-eyed Eevee had firmly planted herself in all of their hearts. Letting her out onto the battlefield would mean she would get hurt, and every human and pokémon in the clearing knew they would protect their little girl with their life without any hesitation, and woe to anyone who ever hurt her.

When Satoshi had finally finished the transfer of knowledge, the young Eevee immediately shot over to her "Sora-nee" and began climbing on her back, occasionally losing her footing and sliding down.

A short distance away, her "Papa-san" (for some reason the Evolution pokémon refused to call him 'Tou-san'), her "Hiru-nii", and her "Yu-nee" sat against a tree, silently discussing their new "child."

'I'm still not sure why she developed the ability to access Aura. I can't ever remember Sensei mentioning any chance of an Eevee using Aura.'

Hirumanai was silent for a while, before offering his own opinion. **Master, it might be that she simply developed this ability as a random mutation. This is usually how new pokémon species come into being, through slight, random mutations.**

Yugana was quick to respond. **Granted, but for a pokémon to hatch with the ability to use Aura for a trainer who **_**just happens**_** to be one of the only Jinsei Kōken in the world? That doesn't sound like a coincidence, or like a random evolution.**

At this, Satoshi almost jumped up to shout "Eureka", as he suddenly recalled what happened before the Eevee hatched. 'Now I remember! Just before she started to hatch, I put an Aura shield around her! Eevees have an unstable genetic structure! The Aura surrounding the egg must have energized her as well, and allowed her to use Aura!'

Both Hirumanai and Yugana's eyes widened as they realized how much sense that made, but their silent exclamations were cut short when the subject of their discussion dashed over from where a slightly shell-shocked-looking Sorahime and laughing Taifuu lay on the ground.

**Come on, Papa-san! Let's play! We can go explore the woods, or maybe you can teach me a new move? Oooh! What about Aura Sphere! ComeonComeonComeon! **

Laughing, Satoshi scratched between his "daughter's" ears, earning a contented purr from the nearly-bouncing pokémon. "Not right now, little one. It's late, and we have another battle tomorrow. If you're good, I promise you can come and watch."

"Veeeeee…." (Awwww…) The young pokémon's ears drooped and she made a face that almost broke Satoshi's will. Big, watery blue eyes, a small pout, and ears flattened against her head. The dreaded Growlithe Eyes. Fortunately for Satoshi, he had developed a slight resistance to it after having to take care of his Sensei's baby Dratini for a few days. Now _there_ was a true master of the technique that could defeat all but the coldest-hearted pokémon.

"Sorry, little one, but it's time to go to sleep."

The baby pokémon sighed, but nodded her head, and clambered up onto Satoshi's lap. Despite her previous hyperactivity, the Normal-type's eyelids rapidly began to close, and her tail finally slowed down to a stop. Sleepily, she reached out again to her adoptive father.

**Ne, Papa-san?**

'Yes, little one?'

**Papa-san, you never told me what my name was.**

Satoshi blinked. He had completely forgotten to name his newest pokémon, even after she had jumped into the empty pokéball he had produced earlier that evening. He thought for a moment, remembering the bright sparkle in her eyes, as well as her constantly-wagging tail, and then he smiled.

'Your name, little one, is Tayuminai.'

The young Eevee smiled as her eyelids fell shut. **Ta..yu..minai?...I…like…it…**

With those last words, her contact with Satoshi's mind faded away into her dreams.

* * *

><p>- One Hour Later, Team Rocket Base on Sennichi no Shima-<p>

"Vice Executive Saturn, Sir!" The flunky's loud cry as he ran up to his superior made the blue-haired ex-commander of Team Galactic cringe. He had been on the clock since seven that afternoon, preparing for their latest operation, and at this point all he wanted to do was return to his quarters and sleep. He had a pounding headache that refused to go away, and his subordinate's voice continually grated on his nerves. 'Arceus, why do I continue to tolerate these fools?'

"What is it?"

'Perhaps that question came out a little sharper than intended,' observed Saturn, as he watched the reporting man cringe a bit before continuing.

"Sir, Team Four is an hour behind their last scheduled check-in."

This made Saturn sit up. "Why was I not informed earlier?"

The Grunt flinched again at his superior's tone. "Apologies sir, but we have been experiencing some issues with the radio transmissions on the island. For some reason, there is a large amount of interference on most of the high-frequency channels we've been using, so we figured the message was lost in the fuzz. Several of the more remote posts had the same issue, but Team Four hasn't been responding to any of our outgoing calls."

Saturn frowned. "Are the GPS locators on the team still at the outpost?"

The Grunt looked down at the report he held. "Yes sir, but none of them have moved in the last four hours."

Saturn nearly burst a vein. "THEN WHY DIDN'T ANYONE THINK TO NOTIFY ME EARLIER?"

The Grunt quailed under the blue-haired man's rage, unable to make a response.

Saturn pushed past the Grunt and stalked back into the command center. "Someone try to contact Team Four again! I want the channel audio on the speaker now!" His tone made it clear that no excuses would be accepted. Hastily complying, the radio operator tuned in onto the frequency that Team Four was registered on. "This is Octilery-Chatot-Chatot calling Octillery-Tauros-Four, please respond, over."

The only response was static. Trying again, the radio officer repeated his previous transmission. Once again, static was his only reply.

Saturn turned to another Grunt in the command center. "Dispatch a scouting team to find out what happened to Team Four. Tell them to bring a medic as well.

Ignoring the Grunt's cry of "Yes, sir!" Saturn turned and left the command center. He needed coffee.

* * *

><p>-Cynthia's residence-<p>

The Blonde Champion sighed in exasperation as she switched her computer off. After waiting for almost twenty minutes for the call to connect through to Iron Island, she had only received a voice mail saying that Riley was currently deep within the island and wouldn't be able to respond to her until tomorrow morning. This meant that whatever Satoshi was planning, he would have an additional day in which to move about freely.

Realizing what course her thoughts were taking, Cynthia shook her head, slightly annoyed with herself. 'Just because he can use Aura doesn't mean he is planning something.' She chided herself. 'He may just be here for the tournament, nothing more and nothing less. Regardless of that, though, we do need to know where he learned how to use Aura. Such teachings have long since been lost to history, and Riley has been struggling to piece together what little remains. Any knowledge Satoshi could provide would be invaluable.'

Looking at the clock, Cynthia felt an urge to slap herself. It was after four in the morning! Groaning, the Sinnoh Champion turned off the lights in the room and promptly headed to get ready for bed. She desperately needed to get some sleep if she wanted to get anything done today. Shrugging, Cynthia put aside thoughts of Satoshi and the mystery surrounding him.

It could wait.

* * *

><p>-Six Hours Later, Terra Stadium-<p>

"AAAND FACING HER, THE HARD-BITTEN TAMER FROM THE WILDS OF JOHTO! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GIVE IT UP FOR MORITAAAA KENJIIIIII!"

Misty watched silently as her opponent emerged from the tunnel. Brown-haired, heavily tanned, and wearing durable and practical clothes, this trainer was clearly a no-nonsense type. He nodded respectfully in her direction, and she responded in kind. Once someone reached a high enough level of skill, words became almost unnecessary. The nod the two trainers now on the field had shared carried their recognition of the other's skills, as well as a challenge.

On the sidelines, Max and Hikaru were looking at a display that showed Kenji's record. He was definitely a strong trainer, finishing in the top four at the Silver Conference for the past three years. He hadn't ever made it to the finals, but he had nearly defeated the winners twice in the semi-finals. He was by no means an easy opponent.

"Apparently, he specializes in double battles. There are several battle analysts who firmly believe that if last Silver Conferences semi-finals had been double battles, he would have easily been able to reach the final round. Geez, I hope that this battle doesn't become a double battle," Hikaru voiced his thoughts, earning him a slap on the back of the head from Max.

"You've seen Misty battle, haven't you? Have some faith. Besides, they probably won't give one trainer such an advantage so easily."

"BOTH TRAINERS READY! THE BATTLE TYPE WILL BE DOUBLE BATTLE! THE FIELD TYPE WILL BE SEASHORE!"

Hikaru and Max both facepalmed. At the same time, the battlefield shimmered, and was replaced by an expanse of sand, bordered on one side with a pool of water several feet deep, and very shallow tide pools spaced throughout. Opposite the water, there was a small thicket of greenery, with normal dirt underneath.

"Hmm, a true mixed-battle setting. This is a good field for either contestant, if they can take advantage of it," observed Brock.

"BEGIN!"

Misty started off, releasing her chosen pokémon. "Umi o shihai (dominate the sea), Kaiō! Kaminari to inazuma to himei o ageru to kōshi, Pikachu!"

The thrown pokéballs released their contents in a burst of light, leaving behind a Golduck and a Pikachu, both ready for battle. Responding to Pikachu's battle aura, storm clouds began to gather overhead, despite the previously clear skies. Across the arena, electronic devices flickered for a moment, before compensating for the charge in the air.

Kenji reacted quickly to Misty's challenge. "Burn, Arcanine! Crush, Rhyperior!"

Both pokémon appeared on the battlefield, roaring defiantly at their enemies. Undaunted, Misty began her attack.

"Kaiō, use Psychic, hold Arcanine in place! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Arcanine! Let's get the odds on our side!"

Kenji responded in kind, ordering his own pokémon into battle. "Arcanine, start charging up Solarbeam! Rhyperior, use Rock Blast to counter Pikachu's Thunderbolt!"

Obeying their trainer's commands, the pokémon on both sides leapt into action. Golduck's eyes began to glow, and Arcanine began to float off the ground. A second later, Pikachu fired his signature attack at the floating Legendary pokémon, only for it to be intercepted by a high-speed rock fired from Rhyperior's palm.

"Rhyperior, use Hammer Arm to break Golduck's focus!" The Drill pokémon complied, slamming its fist into the ground, causing a minor tremor, knocking Golduck off of its feet. Distracted by trying to maintain its footing, the water-type lost its mental hold on Arcanine, allowing the fire-type to touch back onto the ground.

"Kaiō, use Hydro Pump on Arcanine before it can release the Solarbeam!"

"Rhyperior, use Rock Polish to get in front of Arcanine, then use Protect!"

The ground-rock-type's body glimmered, and it blurred into motion, moving far faster than it normally did. At the same time, the water-type opposite it spat out a torrent of water, aimed directly at the exposed fire-type. Just as the attack was about to hit Arcanine, its teammate appeared in front of it, a green translucent barrier already in place to absorb the impact of the stream of water. The water struck the barrier with enough force to split rocks, but the shield held firm, fading only after the attack ended.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Arcanine! Kaiō, use Ice Punch to take out Rhyperior!"

"Rhyperior, block the Ice Punch with your Fire Punch!"

Golduck shot in, claw glowing blue-white. Just as it was about to strike, Rhyperior's own fist came up, bursting into flame. The two elemental punches collided, each side pushing against the other, before Rhyperior's superior strength allowed it to send its opponent flying back several meters. A moment later, Pikachu once again fired his attack at Arcanine. Instead of striking the fire-type, however, the bolt of electricity curved towards Rhyperior, struck it, and dissipated.

"Hey, what gives?" cried Hikaru. "That attack was dead-on!"

"It must have been Rhyperior's Lightningrod ability!" answered Brock, "While Rhyperior is still out in battle, all Electric-type attacks will redirect themselves toward Rhyperior. However, because of Rhyperior's ground-type nature, all electric attacks that hit it will have no effect."

"Kenji actually has a very good team structure, when you think about it," Max thought out loud, "His Arcanine sits on the back line, and takes all the time it needs to build up powerful attacks, while his Rhyperior stays on the front, absorbs all the damage, and prevents attacks from getting through to Arcanine. It's actually a very well-balanced strategy, and fairly hard to counter if well-coordinated."

"So Misty needs to find a way to bypass Rhyperior if she wants to turn this battle around?" questioned Dawn, her brow furrowed in worry. "Can she pull it off? That Rhyperior is really strong…"

May cheerfully clapped Dawn on the back. "Come on Dawn! Where's your usual optimism? If anyone can do it, Misty can!"

"Arcanine, launch your Solarbeam at Golduck!"

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail to deflect it towards Rhyperior! Kaiō, charge in and use Ice Punch on Rhyperior!"

"Rhyperior, use Endure!"

The fire-type, finally done charging its attack, released the beam of green energy toward its water-type opponent. Golduck, however, ignored the incoming attack, instead charging towards the Drill pokémon in front of it. Obeying Misty's order, Pikachu darted in and held a glowing tail protectively in front of himself. A split second later, the beam of solar energy struck the tail, pushing the yellow mouse back slightly, before he swung his tail, launching the energy toward the same target that Golduck was charging towards.

Max pumped his fist. "Alright Misty!"

Dawn's eyes lit up. "I see! Since Rhyperior is already bracing for the Ice Punch, it can't move to dodge the Solarbeam, but if it tries to, Golduck will adjust course and still hit it!"

"Not only that," continued Brock, "But even with Endure, receiving two super-effective blows in quick succession will do some serious damage to Rhyperior. Misty really is good at thinking on her feet."

Back down on the arena floor, Misty frowned. From what she could feel with her empathy, her opponent didn't even have the slightest concern for what was about to happen to his pokémon. If anything, he felt…smug? The redhead's eyes widened, as she realized, a second too late, the error she had made.

"Kaiō, get-"

"Arcanine, use Extremespeed and Thunder Fang on Golduck! Rhyperior, drop the Endure, dodge the Solarbeam!"

Before Misty could even call a counter, the Legendary pokémon became a blur, which resolved itself right next to Golduck before clamping down jaws snapping with electricity.

"DUUUUCK!" cried the water-type, its body involuntarily twitching from the energy coursing through it. Arcanine did not release his grip on Golduck for several seconds. When it did, the Duck pokémon collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Misty grimaced, taking out Golduck's pokéball. "You did a great job, Kaio. Take a rest."

Hooking the ball back on her belt, Misty turned back to her opponent, her hair shadowing her eyes. "So you think you've won?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

Kenji smiled confidently. "My Rhyperior and Arcanine are the best duo on my team. Every time they are in battle together, they win. And all you have left is your Pikachu, and most of his attacks won't do anything. I think my chances of winning are certainly much higher than yours at the moment."

A smirk appeared on Misty's face. "You think so? Pikachu, max out your speed with repeat Agilities!"

Pikachu nodded, his cheeks sparking. "Pi!" A moment later, Pikachu became a yellow blur, racing across the battlefield.

"Now, use Iron Tail on Rhyperior!"

"Arcanine, intercept it with Extremespeed and your own Iron Tail!"

The fire-type appeared in front of its partner, blocking Pikachu's tail strike. The two Iron Tails deadlocked, each trying to overcome the other.

"Rhyperior, while Pikachu is still deadlocked, use Strength to kick it high into the air!"

Rhyperior, still moving quickly from the Rock Polish, shot over to where the other two pokémon were deadlocked. Rearing back a glowing white leg, the rock and ground-type proceeded to kick the small yellow mouse up nearly 20 meters.

"While it's in the air, use Rock Wrecker!"

With a growl, a large rock formed between Rhyperior's claws, glowing purple-red. Rhyperior reared its arm back, in preparation to hurl the boulder.

"Pikachu, use Double Team!"

The boulder flew out just as one Pikachu turned into twenty. Reaching the point where the original was, it simply sailed through the illusionary image that had replaced the real Pikachu, who was falling through the air towards the pond.

"Pikachu, use Substitute to stay on top of the water!"

Confusion spread throughout the stadium.

"Huh?"

"What is she talking about?"

Pikachu, however, seemed to know exactly what Misty was talking about. As he fell, a copy of the electric-type pokémon shimmered into existence, joining its original in free-fall. Just before they hit the water, though, the Substitute's shape changed, becoming a copy of…

"A surfboard?" wondered May, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"What's Misty planning?" Dawn questioned, a similar look on her face.

A split second later, the "surfboard" impacted the water, and Pikachu landed firmly on top of it. "Chu!"

Kenji looked as surprised as the rest of the stadium. "You used Substitute as a surfboard? What good will that do? Now your pokémon's a sitting duck."

Misty smirked at her opponent. "You think so? I think I just won this battle. Pikachu, use Surf!"

Everyone's eyes popped as a massive wave of water rose up under the surfboarding mouse, bearing down on the dumbfounded Rhyperior and Arcanine. Kenji, managing to pick his jaw up off the ground, tried to call a countermove, but it was too late.

"Arcanine, Rhyperior, get-"

"PIIIKAAACHUUUU!" cried Misty's pokémon, as the wall of water engulfed his opponents.

The roiling torrent surged around the arena for several seconds before receding back into the basin where it had originated from, leaving behind two unconscious pokémon and a grinning Pikachu, who happily jumped off his surfboard and bounded back over to his trainer.

The MC picked up his eyes, which had bulged so much they had fallen out of his head, and cleared his throat before calling the match. "MORITA KENJI IS OUT OF USABLE POKÉMON, THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH IS MISTY WATERFLOWER!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, although whether it was for the match itself, Misty's victory, or the impossibility that had ended the match wasn't clear. Regardless, the cheers were deafening, and Misty smiled as she turned and left the arena, Pikachu perched on her shoulder.

Up in the stands, Satoshi watched her leave, a smile on his face.

"Now that was an interesting finish."

Still grinning, Satoshi released Yugana from her pokéball, and in a flash of light, they were gone.

* * *

><p>-Woods of Sennichi no Shima, minutes later-<p>

The scouting squad had almost reached the clearing, after multiple detours to avoid detection and a long trek through the thick woods.

"Damnit," grumbled one, "Why couldn't we have waited for night to fall to do this? It would have taken half the time."

"Quiet!" snapped the senior agent, "keep your pokéballs ready, we're almost there!"

Moving cautiously, the five man squad pushed through the bushes into the clearing where Team Four had set up camp, only to stop and stare in shock.

"Wh-What the hell!"

* * *

><p><strong>OHAAAYOOOOO, MINA-SAAAAAN! We're back, with another chapter of I.S.! Satoshi fifth pokémon: an Aura-using Eevee! I know, I know, some people are going to say "No, bad!" but I do have my reasons. Chief among them is the fact that I needed something unique about Tayu-chan (isn't she cute?) for her to be able to be battle-ready sooner. Also, the part about Eevee's genetic structure is definitely hard-canon, and I can easily see an Eevee developing Aura abilities if in an Aura-heavy environment. <strong>

**Tayuminai – Tireless**

**Also, YES I took the inspiration for Pikachu using Surf from the manga. I mean, think about it, Misty's been training on Mt. Silver for 6 years. She's basically like a female Red.**

…**Okay, maybe not, but STILL! You can't argue that it's freakin' badass for a Pikachu to pull out Surf out of nowhere. (At least, I think it is) Besides, it is possible to get a Surfing Pikachu in HG/SS on a specific Event pokewalker route. SO I'm not too far off from the realm of possibility. Sorry there was only one real battle in this chappie, I promise that next chapter will have at LEAST three, honest. Really sorry this was a couple days late, but my life is barely my own. **

**I hope you enjoyed it, please deposit all reviews in the appropriate receptacles as you exit the theater.**

**Ja ne!**


	6. Movement Five: Battles at an Exhibition

Disclaimer: The following disclaimer is a public disclaimer, and disclaimingly disclaims all disclaiming that needs to be disclaimed for this disclaimed story. Ergo, the disclaimer disclaims that the author disclaims all disclaiming for the story he or she disclaims, thereby labeling the author as the disclaimee, or the party which disclaims their disclaimership over all disclaimed logos and disclaimed intellectual and actual disclaimed properties that have been disclaimed by the disclaimee. Thank you.

Movement 05- Battles at an Exhibition

Main Theme: Tattoos on the Sky [Bleach Beat Collection]

Gary's Theme: Blaze of the Soul Reaper [Bleach OST 1]

Brock's Theme: Turn to Stone by the Electric Light Orchestra [Out of the Blue]

* * *

><p>-Woods of Sennichi no Shima-<p>

"W-What the hell?"

The Team Rocket agents gaped at the scene in front of them, at a total loss for words.

"W-well, now we know what happened to Team F-four…" one of them choked out.

What indeed.

The clearing was a wasteland, with burned trunks, craters, and wrecked equipment strewn about the ground. In some of the craters lay defeated pokémon, all unconscious, burns, scratches, and bruises on every single one. The owners of the pokémon hadn't fared much better. They too were all over the clearing, many with limbs in positions that they were never intended to be in. The incapacitated agents also bore wounds similar to their pokémon, evidence of the strength of the individuals that had attacked them. These were Team Rocket commandos, trained in both battles and hand-to-hand combat, and yet they had been soundly defeated.

"Ugh…*koff* did anyone get the number of the Wailord that hit me?"

The groggy voice drew the attention of every conscious Rocket in the clearing to its source. Spread-eagled against the base of one of the trees at the far end of the clearing was the leader of Team Four, apparently having just woken up. Responding quickly, the scouting party clustered around the dazed commando. The medic pulled out a packet of smelling salts, and waved them under the leader's nose. The strong smell finally pulled him back into complete consciousness, and he sat up, groaning.

"Thanks. Ugh, feels like I've been kicked by a Rapidash. Several times."

"What happened?" inquired his opposite on the scouting party.

"We were attacked. Some weird hooded guy and two pokémon. A Floatzel and a Lucario. Arceus, they were strong. Half of the pokémon we released didn't even have a chance to get an attack off. His pokémon tore through them like they were rice paper. The ones that actually got a move off only lasted longer because his pokémon had to pause to block the attacks. I…don't think I've ever seen a pokémon bat a Hyper Beam aside like it was a baseball. As for the trainer himself…" the recovering commando shuddered. "I've never seen anyone move that fast. Not even when I saw Koga and Janine spar once. It was unreal. He was strong, too. I was actually on the other end of the clearing when he punched me. Next thing I knew, I was over here. There was one other thing too…" here the leader frowned. "I can't be sure, because I was on the verge of passing out, but I think I saw the trainer fire off a blue sphere or something. That crater over there is where it hit." He nodded towards the deepest crater in the clearing.

The other Rockets were silent for a moment, all trying to process the implications of what their comrade had just told them. Finally, one swallowed, and looked back at the crater again. "I think…we should probably tell Giovanni-sama about this. Soon."

No one argued.

* * *

><p>-Terra Stadium, 10:30 AM-<p>

"Wow Misty, that was amazing!" gushed Max, as the redheaded trainer appeared next to her friends, still riding the high from her previous victory.

"I still can't believe that Pikachu used Surf," commented May, giving the electric-type an appraising look. "Isn't that supposed to be impossible?"

Misty grinned. "Yeah, that's something Pikachu and I have been working on for a while. Pikachu was having an awful time with the ground- and rock-types that live on Mt. Silver, until we realized that water holds a slight charge. That lets Pikachu manipulate the water around him to create the wave, as well as move across water. The surfboard itself has two purposes: the first is to give Pikachu a stable platform from which to fight, the second is so if he actually has to give someone a ride across water, he actually has the means to do it. You should have seen the Tyranitars' faces when we came surfing across the river. They looked like they were facing down a Legendary pokémon or something."

"Considering how overpowered Pikachu is, I can't say I'm surprised," muttered Max, drawing a proud "Pi Kapi! (You know it!)" from the electric-type.

Everyone laughed.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE NEXT BATTLE IN THIS TOURNAMENT OF CELEBI IS ABOUT TO START!"

* * *

><p>-In the tunnel-<p>

"Remember, stay focused. He isn't a prospect, he's your opponent."

"Got it."

"Oh, but if he does talk to you, that doesn't count as winning!"

"Wha- but…fine…meanie."

"Just trying to keep the game even."

* * *

><p>"ON ONE SIDE WE HAVE THE HOT-BLOODED BATTLER FROM HOENN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GIVE IT UP FOR FLANNERYYYYYYY!"<br>The crimson-haired Leader pranced into the battle arena, smiling and waving energetically to the crowd.

"So some poor guy has to face Flannery in the selection matches? Wow, that'll really suck for him," commented Max offhandedly, leaning casually onto the railing in front of him.

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, I don't envy anyone who has to go up against her. The way she battles…she really goes for the jugular."

"But!" May interjected, an admiring smile on her face, "She does it with her own sort of flair, don't you think?"

"You got that right!" agreed Dawn, "With the burning fires of passion that she puts into her battles, she'd probably make a most YOUTHFUL coordinator!"

Everyone was quiet for a moment, staring at Dawn, as the Kricketots chirped.

Far away, in another space and time, two bowl-cut, bushy-browed men wearing green sneezed.

Dawn blinked. "L-let's pretend that that didn't happen, okay?"

All present nodded.

"AND FACING HER, THE TRAINER OF UNRIVALED MYSTERY AND POWER, THE ONE AND ONLY SAAATOOOOOSHIIIIIIIII!"

Everyone was silent for a moment, until Hikaru spoke up. "You know, maybe her opponent isn't so screwed after all."

"BOTH TRAINERS READY! THIS BATTLE WILL BE THREE-ON-THREE SINGLE BATTLE! THE FIELD TYPE WILL BE BRIDGE!"

Around the two trainers, the arena floor shimmered, changing into a grassy area with rocks interspersed throughout. Down the center of the field, at the bottom of a fairly deep ravine, a roaring torrent of water threw up a light mist. Spanning the divide was a wide and sturdy wooden bridge, a _torii _gate at either end.

"Wow," commented Brock, "This looks like it came straight out of a movie, like _Duel at Brass Tower_."

Max frowned. "Isn't that the one where Miyamoto Musashi and his Gallade face a group of men on Ecruteak Bridge?"

"Yep."

"But didn't they run away, claiming an unfair fight?"

"I think so…"

"So…what does that make Flannery and Satoshi?"

Dawn giggled. "From what I've seen, that makes Flannery the lone samurai, and Satoshi the enemy with overwhelming force."

"So Satoshi's the _villain_ here? That's not right, mysterious characters are almost always the protagonists! Villains usually end up being someone who was introduced in the third episode, and shock everyone when they turn out to be evil!" May protested.

"Alright, fine, Satoshi is Musashi, Flannery can be Yoshioka Seijuro. Musashi beats him, but has mercy on him."

"You know, that's not a bad comparison," remarked Misty. "Except for one problem."

"What?"

Misty grinned. "Satoshi doesn't show mercy."

* * *

><p>"BEGIN!"<p>

"Mai, Yugana!"

"Hunt, Houndoom!"

The moment both pokémon had been released, Flannery went on the attack. "Houndoom, use Bite!"

The Houndoom charged towards its opponent, jaws wide, only to snap them shut on nothing but air, as the Embrace Pokémon appeared on the opposite side of the bridge, her eyes once again closed.

**Do not insult us, please.** The psychic message could be heard throughout the stadium. **If you wish to defeat us, please take this battle seriously.**

"Houndoom, use Dark Pulse!"

The waves of negative energy didn't even come close to the blue and white pokémon. With ease, the Psychic type danced around the attack.

Dawn frowned. "How did the Gardevoir dodge that? Psychics can't even sense Dark types, right?"

"Yes," Misty replied, "But significantly skilled Psychics, like Sabrina, for instance, have such a clear perception of their own surroundings that they can find the "gaps" in their sense created by the Dark type. The comparison Sabrina used to explain it to me years ago was that normal Psychic sensing is like seeing lights against a dark background, while seeing the "holes" is like picking out silhouettes against a lighted screen."

"Wow, that's pretty cool," put in Hikaru.

'But,' Misty thought to herself, 'Using Psychic sense like that requires immense power. Sabrina told me that the number of humans who can do it could be counted on one hand, and the number of pokémon who can do it aren't that much greater. Satoshi's Gardevoir is on par with Elite Four level Psychics. It's hardly surprising, considering the level of skill his other pokémon have, but still…'

"Rrgh…Houndoom, use Flamethrower!"

The stream of fire blazed from the mouth of the Dark pokémon, but once again, did not reach its target. Instead, it redirected its course over the edge of the bridge and down into the water. Flannery gritted her teeth in frustration. None of her attacks were making it through. It was like trying to catch steam in her hands at the hot spring!

Abruptly, Flannery broke into a grin. 'Now there's an idea…'

"Houndoom, use Flamethrower on the river! Let's make some steam!"

The hellhound obeyed, racing down the length of the gorge until it reached the wall, fire issuing from its mouth the entire time. A curtain of billowing steam rose out of the gorge, and began to spread over the middle of the battlefield. Without missing a beat, Flannery continued her commands. "Now, use Dark Pulse on the steam before it gets too thin!"

The bursts of negative energy raced through the steam, even as it dispersed to cover most of the battle field.

"Now Houndoom, find it and use Bite!"

Houndoom darted into the mist that concealed Yugana, and less than a minute passed before a pained cry could be heard.

"Devooooiiirrr!"

* * *

><p>Hikaru frowned. "What the heck? The Gardevoir wasn't even using its eyes! Why did the mist change that?"<p>

Misty pondered the battlefield for a moment, before snapping her fingers. "Aha! That's really clever! Flannery had Houndoom create thick steam from the river, then used Dark Pulse to infuse the steam with a Dark type. Satoshi's pokémon can't sense the Houndoom against a background of dark energy, and can't use Psychic to settle the steam. Houndoom, on the other hand, can smell out Gardevoir. Flannery really turned this battle to her advantage."

Dawn and Mays both looked contemplative. "Infusing steam with a type? That really has potential as a contest move."

"Never mind that! Listen," insisted Max, "Why can't we hear any more cries?"

"Did – did Flannery actually manage to knock out one of Satoshi's pokémon?"

The entire stadium was silent, the crowd straining to hear any sounds of combat. For almost a minute, the only sound was the rushing of the unseen river. Then, all of a sudden, the ground began to shake, and cracking and groaning sounds emanated from the fog. In the Gym Leaders's box, the Psychics clutched their heads in pain.

"S-such force…" Sabrina managed between clenched teeth.

"What – what _is_ she?" gasped Lucian.

Flannery, too, seemed unnerved. "Houndoom, use –"

But before the Hoenn Gym Leader could finish her command, it happened. The swirling mist froze in place for a moment, then exploded outwards, blinding the audience for several seconds, before it cleared.

Almost every jaw in the stadium hit the ground. Dawn, Brock, Pikachu, and Cynthia all gasped.

* * *

><p>"That's –" began Dawn.<p>

* * *

><p>"The Reverse World?" breathed Cynthia, her eyes wider than Bronzongs. "What is it doing here?"<p>

Indeed, the battlefield looked exactly like the Reverse World. Within the walls separating the arena from the spectators, gravity seemed to have forgotten which way was down. Platforms of what used to be the ground hung suspended in midair, some sideways, others upside down. The bridge across the stream still remained whole, but the entire thing now hung upside down, with the stream calmly flowing through midair above it, before plummeting in a sideways waterfall to a piece of land that appeared to be part of the riverbed. Houndoom found itself standing on a piece of land near the center of the battlefield, its opponent nowhere in sight. Both Satoshi and Flannery were on horizontal platforms at the edge of the strange landscape, Satoshi looking completely unruffled at the change in battlefield, while Flannery looked close to fainting.

"The Reverse World? What's that?" inquired Surge, who was one of the less well-educated Leaders in terms of Sinnoh mythology.

* * *

><p>"The Reverse World, as we had it explained to us by the current expert on it, is our world's mirror image. Everything in that world is a reflection of ours." Brock explained to May, Max, Misty, and Hikaru. "Giratina is the only pokémon that we know lives in that world."<p>

* * *

><p>"Giratina and the Reverse World are responsible for maintaining the temporal and spatial balance of our world," Cynthia continued, "But according to the priests at the Snowpoint Temple, the Reverse World is also the gateway to the next life. Souls who pass on travel through the Reverse World, until they reach the entrance to the next life, whatever that might be. They are judged, and if they are found impure, they are purged in torment in the farthest depths of the Reverse World, and are then released back into our world to be reincarnated. Pure souls are permitted to enter the next life, which is also guarded by Giratina. The Snowpoint priests call Giratina "The Keeper of the Balance."<p>

* * *

><p>"So there's no one else in the Reverse World to keep Giratina company?" May queried. "Sounds lonely."<p>

"I don't know about that," countered Misty, "A world all to yourself, where you have total control…" she grinned. "That sounds like the dream of half the villains we've collectively met."

Everyone chuckled.

* * *

><p>Down in the arena, Flannery wasn't nearly as amused by the strange world she now found herself in. Her near-panicked thoughts were interrupted by Satoshi's voice, which she hadn't heard since the battle started.<p>

"**Jigokukei: Gyakuten.**" (Hellscape: Inversion) announced Satoshi, still seeming perfectly calm about how the world around had suddenly been turned every which way. "This is one of Yugana's favorite techniques. It's quite amusing to watch people try and adjust to the fact that they are now standing upside down." Satoshi grinned. "You adjusted the battlefield to your advantage; now we're adjusting it to ours. Let the hunt begin."

For Flannery, the next few minutes were absolutely nerve-wracking. Houndoom had started off trying to trace the Gardevoir's scent through the bizarre world around them. It had seemed to work, until Houndoom had landed on a sideways platform, and was promptly attacked by a swarm of Psychic-guided rock missiles. Those had pursued Houndoom until it had gotten enough space to use Iron Tail, knocking most of the projectiles out of the air. A few, though, had still gotten through, doing some fairly bad damage to Houndoom. Not even giving the hellhound a break, a golem (not a Golem) of rock formed out of the nearest platform, and began pursuing Houndoom, seemingly ignoring the gravity of various platforms in its chase. Frequently, a rock would fire itself out of the golem, and would streak towards its prey. After almost ten minutes of this, Houndoom finally managed to hit the golem with multiple Iron Tails in the same place, collapsing the animated rock statue.

Now Houndoom was crouched, panting heavily, clearly tired, just next to the upside-down half of the bridge.

"Are you okay, Houndoom?"

"Doom!" The Dark pokemon announced, straightening by sheer force of will, its sides heaving.

"Alright then! Use –"

But before she could finish her command, the shadow underneath Houndoom bulged, and Yugana emerged. Charged on her hand was a Focus Blast. Flannery's eyes widened. "Houndoom, watch out!"

WHAM!

Yugana backhanded the Houndoom before it could react, sending it flying off the platform. It was unconscious before it even hit the next platform.

"Nice job, Houndoom. Return!"

"Return, Yugana-chan. Well done."

Both pokémon disappeared in red light, returning to their pokéballs. The bizarre battlefield, however, did not disappear. Satoshi chuckled at Flannery's stunned expression. "That's the face everyone wears when they find out something new about Yugana's techniques. It never gets old."

"H-how?"

Satoshi shrugged. "I don't pretend to be all knowing, I'm no Arceus or Uxie."

* * *

><p>Cynthia frowned. 'He knows of the true nature of the Sinnoh Legendaries…'<p>

* * *

><p>Satoshi continued his monologue. "Anyway, the best explanation I came up for this technique is that it's like Sunny Day or Rain Dance; it sticks around even after the user is gone. The only one who can collapse this technique is Yugana herself." Pausing a moment to savor the air of incredulity in the stadium, Satoshi plucked his next pokéball off his belt. "Sengen, Hirumanai!"<p>

Satoshi's Lucario appeared on one of the sideways chunks of landscape, on one knee, his eyes closed. A small smile appeared on the pokémon's face – not that anyone could see it – and his amused thoughts floated into Satoshi's head.

**She was showing off again, wasn't she?**

Satoshi laughed, drawing some slightly alarmed looks from the audience. **Yes, yes she was. Now it's your turn for showing off, old friend.**

**Yes Master.**

**I think we're starting to unnerve the natives. Shall we begin?**

**Mm.**

The Lucario nodded, and then leapt off into the twisted battlefield. Flannery paused, unnerved. The several seconds after Satoshi had released his pokémon had appeared to have almost been a conversation between Satoshi and his pokémon. Shaking herself, she pulled out her own pokéball.

"Bombard, Magmortar!"

The Blast Pokémon appeared, ready for battle, but paused upon seeing the battlefield. It turned to its trainer, a question in its eyes. "Mag?"

Flannery, going on a guess, replied. "Just go with it. There's nothing I can do about it. Your opponent is a Lucario. Be careful."

No sooner had she said that than six different spheres of blue energy came rocketing around various pieces of earth, slamming into Magmortar like a series of Exploding Electrodes. The final Aura Sphere detonating at its feet, sending the Fire type flying off the platform it was standing on, only to be seized by the gravity of a different platform, which slammed it headfirst into the chunk of rock that created that gravitational field.

"That looked painful," sympathized Dawn.

Magmortar got to its feet as quickly as possible, looking every which way for the next attack. The attack came in a blur of motion, as the Lucario streaked across the battlefield as if it was simply flat ground. Magmortar swung one of its arms towards the blue-and-black blur. A red-orange glow began to shine from the business end of the arm-cannon, a sure sign of an ensuing fireball. The Fire type prepared to launch the flaming projectile at its opponent, only for said opponent to appear immediately below the cannon, kicking upward with a perfect vertical split-kick.

The fireball flew upwards, detonating against a different platform. The split kick was followed up by a series of rapid glowing-blue punches, and then a vicious Low Kick that swept the larger pokémon off its feet. The Fire type crashed to the ground again. This time, it was slower getting up. The Lucario had backed off somewhat, and was now looking up from a sideways platform off to the left of Magmortar. Neither pokémon moved for another several seconds. Magmortar appeared to be trying to catch its breath, while Satoshi's pokémon seemed to be merely watching its opponent.

"Magmortar, hit him with Fireball Stream!"

The Fire type snarled in frustration, lifting both of its arms. Not wasting time charging a large attack, Magmortar simply began launching a stream of fireballs the size of a Geodude at its opponent. Before the first fireball struck its target, though, the Lucario blurred into motion, easily staying ahead of the stream of red-hot spheres. Even as Magmortar turned to track the Aura pokémon, the speeding Fight-Steel type was moving closer to the Blast pokémon.

Abruptly, the Lucario jumped up into the air, towards Magmortar.

Flannery smirked. "Mistake."

Almost lazily, Magmortar swung its right cannon upward, aiming it just ahead of the Lucario's course.

"Magmortar, use Fire Blast!"

On command, a hellish stream of fire erupted from the cannon, streaking towards the midair Lucario. Neither Satoshi nor Lucario looked overly worried.

The fireball was mere centimeters from the Lucario, when the Aura pokémon shifted its body – and kicked off of midair, completely avoiding the super effective attack.

* * *

><p>Surge, Volkner, and Wattson frowned. "That's not Magnet Rise," Wattson said. Cynthia nodded in agreement.<p>

'Another mystery to add to the list of Satoshi's mysteries.' Thought the blonde Champion.

* * *

><p>Taking advantage of Magmortar's total shock, Hirumanai bounced off of thin air twice more, ignoring the gravity of the nearest platform at the same time. The second bounce once again propelled the Aura pokémon straight towards his opponent. Before Magmortar had time to react, another glowing-blue fist, brighter than any of the previous such attacks, slammed into its midsection at very high velocity.<p>

Magmortar didn't stand a chance. It was unconscious before it felt the impact. Flannery sighed, pulling out Magmortar's pokéball. "Great job, Magmortar. Take a rest."

Satoshi also pulled out a pokéball, returning Hirumanai without a word.

* * *

><p>"That was incredible," murmured Max, "Magmortar didn't even get a single hit in."<p>

"Yeah, Satoshi's Lucario – Hirumanai, right? – was way too fast for Magmortar to get a bead on him," agreed Brock.

"What troubles me," Misty replied, frowning, "was that mid-air step that Hirumanai pulled off right before the end of the battle. It definitely wasn't Magnet Rise."

* * *

><p>"Not Magnet Rise? What do you mean?" Flint asked his friend.<p>

"Precisely that," Volkner replied, "Magnet Rise is basically an exploitation of the margin of magnetic fields close to the Earth. Pokémon using Magnet Rise basically run microcurrents around their body, creating an overall magnetic field that pushes downwards on the Earth's magnetic field. It can usually get about a half-meter of maximum lift, but it only works vertically from the main body of the Earth. An extremely powerful pokémon could probably get several meters of lift, but no pokémon could ever use it sideways like that Lucario just did. I wasn't certain of it the first time I saw it, but know I know for sure. That Lucario is doing something other than Magnet Rise. And whatever it is, no one here has ever seen it before."

The League Box was dead quiet, as the implications of that statement worked their way through everyone's heads.

* * *

><p>"Fight, Blaziken!"<p>

The Blaze pokémon erupted from the pokéball in a curtain of orange flames. Flannery, apparently, cared enough to put seals on her Blaziken's pokéball.

* * *

><p>"Huh," joked Max, "I guess there is a girl somewhere deep inside Flannery after a – OWW!"<p>

"Max, Max, Max," chided May, her hand still in a fist. "When will you learn? Don't insult ladies."

"Which means I can insult you, right? OW!"

May had grabbed Max's cheek, and was pulling hard. "You take that back!"

"Nfwar!" (Never!)

Dawn rolled her eyes at the siblings' antics. "So, what pokémon do you think Satoshi will send out to counter Blaziken?"

Misty thought for a moment. "Well, we already know that Satoshi only has four pokémon, and he's already used his Lucario and Gardevoir. The only ones left are his Floatzel and his Charizard. Personally, I think he will send out his Charizard. He doesn't seem like the type to go for type advantages."

Brock shook his head. "I don't think so. With gravity twisted around like that, it would wreak havoc with a flying pokémon. I'm betting on his Floatzel."

* * *

><p>Satoshi watched the Blaziken for a few moments as it adjusted to the battlefield, then reached down for Taifuu's pokéball. "I know you're going to be annoyed with me, Taifuu, but Sorahime is ill-suited to fight a Blaziken. Sky Uppercut and all that. Areru Tai–"<p>

But Satoshi stopped short of releasing the Water type, and glanced down at his belt of pokéballs. One of them was shaking. He replaced Taifuu's pokéball, and unclipped the shaking one. He appeared to listen for a moment, then cocked his head.

"Are you sure?"

* * *

><p>Misty frowned. "That's a fifth pokéball. Why didn't we notice that before?"<p>

"I don't know…" mused Brock.

"Satoshi has _another _pokémon?" Hikaru almost yelled. "Why didn't he tell us?"

* * *

><p>"Okay…but I'll have Yugana dispel her technique. You don't have any experience fighting in warped gravity. Yu-chan, if you would?" he asked, glancing at the Psychic type's pokéball.<br>The battle floor abruptly was surrounded by a sphere of white energy, which quickly collapsed in on itself, revealing the battlefield fully intact and horizontal, as if it hadn't just been twisted every which way. Ignoring the slack jaws from several people in the audience, Satoshi expanded the pokéball in his hand and tossed it high.

"Hashiru (Run), Tayuminai!"

The traditional flash of light burst out of the pokéball, leaving behind Satoshi's newest pokémon. Tayuminai growled, her bright blue eyes sparking with determination.

Across the stadium, a chorus of "Awwws" could be heard from a majority of the female population, as the close up image of the Eevee showed up on the large screens to the side of the battlefield. It was understandable. Eevees, as a rule, were generally extremely cute. Tayuminai's unusual eye coloration simply raised her cuteness level to weapons-grade strength. Even Sabrina and Clair, who had some of the best self-control of the female League members, found themselves cooing.

Flannery, too, felt her heart melt at the sight of the Eevee, but she forced herself to focus. She glanced at the projected level of Satoshi's pokémon that was displayed on the big screen. Her jaw dropped.

* * *

><p>"Level 15?" Max's mouth gaped open. "That has to be a mistake. There's no way that one of Satoshi's pokémon would be that weak!"<p>

"It must have only hatched recently. Maybe Satoshi only got it last night."

Brock nodded, agreeing with Misty's postulation. "Yeah, I really don't think Satoshi is the type of person who would knowingly lie to someone. He seems too honorable for that."

* * *

><p>Flannery's Blaziken was a rather proud pokémon, and with good reason. He was an extremely strong pokémon, and if Flannery chose to use him in battle, he rarely lost. But this new opponent was a mere hatchling!<p>

"Blaze-ken, blaziken. Blaze blaze ken blaziken ken-blaze." (Go home, hatchling. You will only get hurt here.)

Tayuminai growled, her blue eyes now alight with anger. **NO! I'M GOING TO MAKE MY PAPA-SAN PROUD!**

The telepathic shout was heard by everyone in the stadium. Satoshi facepalmed.

"Well, _that_ secret weapon lasted all of five seconds."

* * *

><p>Cynthia gaped. She wasn't alone. Every jaw in the stadium was scraping the ground.<p>

"A Psychic Eevee?" she managed to squeak out, still shocked.

Sabrina shook her head, her eyes also wide. "N-no. That wasn't telepathy like a Psychic would perform it. It's something else. Some other way of silent communication…"

Cynthia and Maylene's eyes both widened simultaneously, and, as if they had rehearsed it, they reached down to their belts, and released their Lucarios.

"Lucario," Cynthia asked, "Can you tell us if there is something unusual about that Eevee? Besides the blue eyes, I mean?"

Both Aura pokémon closed their eyes, the "dreadlocks" on their heads flaring outward. After less than a second, their eyes snapped open.

**Such auras…! I've never felt any non-Lucario who had such strong auras!** Cynthia's pokémon gasped. Maylene's Lucario nodded in agreement.

**Yes…both of them are incredibly strong, as is the one still in his pokéball.**

The Sinnoh Champion frowned. "What do you mean?"

Her Lucario turned to face her. **Mistress, the Eevee, her trainer, and the Lucario in the pokéball on the trainer's belt all have auras that are stronger than any we've ever seen. It's simply unbelievable…**

Koga frowned. "We know Satoshi-san is an Aura user, and his Lucario is incredibly strong, but the Eevee as well? No Eevee has ever displayed ability with Aura. Such a thing can't be natural."

Lance frowned at his subordinate's words. "Unnatural abilities…usually are results of pokémon experimentation."

Almost everyone in the booth sucked in a sharp breath. "You don't mean…" began Roxanne.

Steven nodded. He wasn't a member of the League anymore, per se, but his knowledge and strength were still greatly respected. "It is quite likely…that Satoshi is involved with one of the Teams."

* * *

><p>Tayuminai, perceiving the shock in the stadium through her Aura senses, turned to Satoshi, frowning cutely.<p>

**Ne, Papa-san? Why is everyone so surprised?**

Satoshi shook his head in exasperation. "Tayu-chan, remember that talk we had just before we left this morning?"

The Normal type thought for a moment, before the proverbial light bulb popped on over her head. **Oh! You mean when you said I shouldn't…use…my…Aura powers?**

Satoshi nodded slowly.

The young Evolution pokémon blinked. **Ohhhhhh….so maybe I shouldn't have yelled with my Aura?**

Satoshi nodded again.

**Ummmmmmmmm…Oops?**

Her trainer pinched the bridge of his nose. "It doesn't matter anymore. You might as well, since the whole stadium knows now. The whole world will probably know by tomorrow."

Tayuminai's ears drooped. She looked down, scuffing a forepaw against the ground. **Sorry, Papa-san.**

Satoshi smiled, knelt down, and held out his arms. "Come here."

The Normal type brightened up, and trotted over to her adopted father, who scooped her up into a hug. "It's okay, Tayu-chan. Making mistakes is a part of life."

The hooded trainer set down the blue-eyed pokémon, and pointed at the Blaziken. "Now, you have a battle to fight, don't you?"

Tayuminai nodded, her eyes once again afire with determination. **Un!**

"Sate, ikimashou!" (Okay then, let's go!)

Flannery, deciding to take the initiative, ordered her own pokémon into action. "Blaziken, finish this quick! Use Slash!"

The Blaze pokémon nodded, and charged forward, its foreclaws glowing white.

Satoshi nodded, and yelled out his own command. "Tayu-chan, use Sand-Attack, then dodge and use Double Team!"

* * *

><p>Misty blinked. "He's using verbal commands? That's new for him."<p>

"Maybe that Eevee is too young for him to do silent commands?" suggested Dawn.

Brock nodded. "That would make sense."

* * *

><p>Just as Blaziken was about to land a Slash on Tayuminai, the Normal type kicked sand up into his face, blinding him. Taking advantage of the larger pokémon's temporary blindness, the smaller pokémon blurred into multiple copies surrounding the Fire-Fighting type. Flannery didn't seem worried. "Blaziken, use Fire Spin!"<p>

Blaziken nodded, and released a whirlwind of fire, destroying all the copies and knocking Tayuminai back several meters. Satoshi changed tactics. "Tayuminai, use Hidden Power!"

The young Eevee nodded, and focused for a few moments, then released a wave of white energy balls, which took the shape of small birds as they approached Blaziken.

"Flying type? Crap. Blaziken, dodge it!"

"Follow up with Headbutt!"

The Hoenn starter rolled out of the way of the flock of energy birds, barely dodging one that would have it him dead in the face. Before he could even think to counterattack, a blunt force slammed into his head at high speed, actually doing damage. Blaziken, angry that a hatchling was making a fool out of him, jumped away from the offending pokémon, flames already forming around his feet. Without waiting for an order from Flannery, he leapt forward, bringing his foot around in a vicious Blaze Kick.

"Tayu-chan, use Protect!"

The Eevee obediently started forming the barrier, but Blaziken's attack hit before the shield finished forming. The attack sent Tayuminai flying. She slammed into the ground ten meters away, and slowly pulled herself to her feet.

"Daijobudesuka, Tayu-chan?" (Are you okay)

**U-un…itaiiiii. **(Yeah…Ouch)

"The gloves are off, Tayu-chan. Use Aura Boost!"

The Evolution pokémon nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. A blue glow appeared around her, wisps of energy rising like smoke off the tips of her ears and tail.

* * *

><p>Misty froze. Dawn and May gasped. Brock and Max both suddenly felt a lump in their throats. Cynthia stiffened.<p>

"T-that looks a lot like…" Dawn choked out.

"Ash…" whispered Misty. Her eyes began to tear up, as the memory of that terrible day reared its ugly head. Then, Satoshi's words from the previous day echoed through her head. _"Wouldn't he want you to be happy?"_

Misty took a deep breath, and let it out, pulling forward memories of happier times with Ash. Him laughing, training with Pikachu, battling against all odds for a gym badge, risking his life for others, pulling childishly on her arm at the festival…

Misty blinked. Satoshi had somehow replaced Ash's image in her head. She wondered at this.

* * *

><p>Cynthia drew in a shuddering breath. Fantina noticed her discomfort, and commented on it.<p>

"Whatever is the matter, ma cher?"

Cynthia glanced at the others in the box. "You all remember the events at Spear Pillar six years ago, right?"

The box was abruptly silent, as almost everyone paused, remembering who had been lost that day. Cynthia swallowed, then continued. "When he broke out of the bindings and charged Cyrus, Ash had the same sort of energy cloak."

**It's Aura, mistress.** Announced Cynthia's Lucario. **Aura so heavily concentrated, the user can't fully restrain it within the body, so it…boils over, I guess you could say. Inside the body, it is boosting strength, speed, and reflexes to incredible levels. It takes a significant amount of energy to do that.**

Lance swallowed. "Can you do it?"

**Not as bright as that, and only for a few minutes.**

Wallace looked troubled. "So you're saying that that level 15 Eevee might be stronger than you?"

The Lucario was silent for a moment. **When she is using Aura…yes.**

* * *

><p>"Tayuminai, use Iron Tail!"<p>

"Blaziken, catch the Iron Tail, and use Peck!"

The Eevee disappeared in a blur of blue. Before Blaziken could react, the blindingly fast-moving pokémon shot past him, barely clipping him with a glowing blue-white tail. But at the speeds Tayuminai was using, it hardly mattered. The force behind the blow was enough to send Blaziken flying several meters backward. The Blaze pokémon pulled himself to his feet, only for the same blur to shoot past him again, and he found himself airborne for the second time. This time, though, when he got up, no attack struck him.

Blaziken's battle instincts abruptly screamed a warning, and he threw himself to the ground, barely avoiding a swarm of bird-shaped energy attacks. The Hoenn pokémon's gaze shot over to where the flock of Hidden Power attacks had originated from. With a start, Blaziken realized he was precisely under the _torii _gate on Flannery's side of the battlefield. On the other end of the bridge, still cloaked in a shroud of blue, was Satoshi's Eevee. Swirling around the small brown pokémon were hundreds more energy birds, all infused with Tayuminai's sky-blue aura. Each bird seemed to have even greater detail now; aside from the total absence of color, the birds looked very much like undersized Taillows. Even as Blaziken watched, tensed for an attack, the flock grew closer and closer to the Eevee, swirling around faster and faster, until Tayuminai was completely concealed by a dome of ever-shrinking energy.

Even Satoshi looked surprised. "Is she…"

The dome collapsed inward in a bright flash of light. When the light faded, Tayuminai was once again visible. Floating in front of her, completely unsupported, was a sword.

The sword was glowing white, and had a shape oddly reminiscent of a bird's wing. It flowed gracefully from hilt to tip, with not a single imperfection visible.

**Youhane no Tsurugi. **(Swallowtail Sword) Announced Tayuminai, as the sword moved smoothly in an infinity loop in front of her, without any visible guidance.

Satoshi was quiet for a moment, before smiling widely. "Well done, Tayu-chan. I didn't think you'd be able to do that this early. And a Flying alignment as well, very impressive." He paused, then continued speaking.

"I cannot command you for the rest of the battle, Tayu-chan. Your first use of that blade must be entirely your own."

The Evolution pokémon nodded, looking calmer than she ever had before. The sword moved to her right side, drawn back as if to make a strike forward. Then, she grinned.

**This is going to be fun…**

She turned to Blaziken. **Are you ready, Blaziken-senpai?**

Flannery, now extremely unnerved by the strange sword, decided that ending this battle as quickly as possible was now the only real option. "Blaziken, use Focus Punch!"

The Blaze pokémon nodded, and turned back to Tayuminai, fist already beginning to glow. "Ken blaze blaziken blaze ken blaziken, blaze ken." (We will finish this in one blow, hatchling.)

**Fine by me.**

The crowd fell silent, as the opponents faced each other across the bridge, and Blaziken finished charging the Fighting move. Neither pokémon moved for almost a minute, and it seemed as if the world had stood still for a moment. Then finally, both of them shifted, and began to move.

Step.

Step.

Step. Step.

Step. Step. Step.

Stepstepstepstepstepstepstep…..!

They met in the exact middle of the bridge, Blaziken swinging his fisted claw downward, and Tayuminai's strange sword swinging upward as if being held and used by a Iaido master.

'Focus Punch!'

**Kuugiri! **(Void Cut!)

In the blink of an eye, it was over. Tayuminai's sword had disappeared. Blaziken's fist was no longer extended. They were now facing away from each other, and slowly walking further away.

Step.

Step.

Step.

"Blaze….ken." (Well…..done)

Thump.

Blaziken's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, knocked out. Tayuminai panted, swaying on her feet, then toppled. She felt herself get caught by a pair of strong arms, and, through the haze of exhaustion, she could feel her Papa-san's Aura.

**Ne…Papa-san?**

**Yes Tayu-chan?**

**Did…did I do good?**

**Yes, yes you did. I'm so proud of you. Now, rest.**

**H…hai…..**

Satoshi smiled as his pokémon fell asleep in his arms. "Well done indeed Tayu-chan. Well done indeed."

He ignored the MC loudly announcing his victory to the crowd. Reaching out and sensing where Misty was, he began making his way to one of the exits. As he passed by Flannery, who had just returned her Blaziken, he leaned in.

"A very well fought battle, Flannery-san. You have some very strong pokémon."

Then he left the arena, leaving Flannery with a blush on her face.

* * *

><p>"Wow," managed May. "That was incredible."<p>

"Yeah, it's not every day you see a Gym Leader's best pokémon taken down by such a young pokémon," agreed Hikaru. "On the other hand, she is one of Satoshi's pokémon, and every other pokémon he has seems to be incredibly powerful."

"Yes, but that's just because they train hard. All I do is train alongside them."

The entire group spun around as one, to see Satoshi emerging from a nearby set of stairs, the slumbering Tayuminai still held within his arms. Seemingly oblivious to the fact that he had made everyone else present jump, he made his way over to one of the empty seats around them, and sat down gracefully, taking great care not to disturb his adopted child.

Misty sat down beside him, hesitantly reaching her hand out towards the Eevee. At Satoshi's nod, she gently put her hand on the Normal type's head, scratching her behind the ears. In her sleep, Tayuminai shifted, nuzzling her nose against Misty's hand, and gave a contented sigh.

Satoshi grinned. "She already likes you, and she hasn't even really met you."

Misty paused in her stroking. Something about that grin made her heart jump, as though she had seen it somewhere before.

Max's excited voice interrupted her thoughts. "How did you get her to do that, Satoshi? Use that weird energy?"

"It was Aura, wasn't it?" The question came from May, who had a thoughtful frown on her face. At Misty's raised eyebrow, she explained herself. "I remember that Sir Aaron and A…Ash" she stumbled slightly at the name "could both use Aura, and that shroud around her looked a lot like something Ash could do. Ergo, it is probably the same thing."

The general atmosphere was one of astonishment at May's logic. She pouted. "Come on, it's not like I always act like a total airhead."

Max coughed. "I beg to differ."

May hit him again. "No lip from you, Mister Maple."

Satoshi cocked his head. "Who's this Ash person you guys keep mentioning? If he can use Aura, then he must be pretty strong. Sounds like he'd be fun to battle."

Instantly, Satoshi knew he'd made a mistake. The mood of everyone present darkened, and Dawn and May's eyes began to water. Misty looked at Satoshi, her eyes sad, but less so than her friends.

"Ash Ketchum was the friend I was telling you about yesterday. He died six years ago. We were all very close to him."

But Satoshi had stopped listening. The moment the name "Ash Ketchum" had been spoken, he had stiffened, as images, sounds, and sensations flooded his mind. Pokémon battles with pokémon he had never owned, both victories and defeats. Images of vast crowds cheering and booing him…A strange roaring sound filled his ears…A brilliant beam of light filled his vision…

"-shi? Satoshi? Are you okay?"

The hooded trainer blinked. He appeared to be lying on the ground, facing upward. Above him were the concerned faces of Misty and the others. Getting up slowly, he noticed that Tayuminai was still held safely within his arms, fast asleep. He shook him head, trying to clear his thoughts.

'What…in Arceus' name was _that_?'

He looked back to Misty, an apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry about that. Not sure what that was."

"Are you going to be okay?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Satoshi adjusted his arms slightly. "How long was I on the floor?"

"Not long. Only a couple minutes. They're about to start the next match."

"ON ONE SIDE, WE HAVE THE FIREBREATHER FROM JOHTO! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GIVE IT UP FOR SEBASTIAN!"

The large man, dressed in the traditional clothes of a Firebreather, swaggered onto the field like he owned it.

Satoshi rolled his eyes.

"What is it," he wondered, "with Fire-type trainers and arrogance?"

"Maybe they took the 'hotheaded' part too literally?" May suggested.

"Either that, or they've just lost too many brain cells from smoke inhalation." Hikaru replied.

"AND HIS OPPONENT, THE WORLD FAMOUS POKÉMON BATTLER AND RESEARCHER, GARY MOTHERFU*….Ahem…GARY OAK!"

The group, with the exception of Satoshi and Hikaru, all had wide smiles. Misty looked slightly exasperated.

"That jerk! He says he'll 'meet us at the Stadium later', when he has a battle? He definitely wants to show off."

Brock shrugged. "That's Gary for you."

* * *

><p>Gary emerged from the tunnel, clad in blue cargo pants, and wearing a black collared shirt. Trotting at his side was his Umbreon, who seemed to be enjoying the applause even more than her Trainer. Then, a familiar scent caught her nose, and her head whipped around toward where Pikachu and the others were sitting. Her red eyes glared up at the yellow mouse, and he shivered.<p>

* * *

><p>"Something wrong with Pikachu?" Hikaru inquired, seeing the Electric pokémon's discomfort.<p>

Misty glanced at her companion, who appeared to be frozen in place. 'Looked like she actually threw a Mean Look in with the glare.' "About three years ago, Gary came up into Mount Silver looking for me. While he was up there, he – or more accurately, his Umbreon – challenged Pikachu to a battle. When Pikachu won in three moves, I don't think she forgave him. From what I could pick up, she was almost immediately demanding a rematch from the second she woke up. Gary actually had to return her to her pokéball in order to get her to leave the mountain. I thought it was funny. Gary did too."

Pikachu glared at his trainer, as if affronted by the fact that she thought a crazy Dark type after your blood was funny. Satoshi chuckling quietly didn't help either. He looked back down at the field, seeing that Umbreon's attention was now on her trainer, who was saying something to her.

Pikachu shuddered again.

* * *

><p>"BOTH TRAINERS READY! THIS BATTLE WILL BE ONE-ON-ONE! THE FIELD TYPE WILL BE GRASSLAND!"<p>

The field shimmered, becoming the flat, knee-high grass field once again. Sebastian threw his own pokéball out first.

"Smolder, Flareon!"

The Flame pokémon burst from its pokéball, growling and ready for battle. Gary smirked, looking down at his own Eeveelution.

"Want to relieve some frustration, girl?"

A growl of affirmation was his companion's response. The Pallet native gestured forward. "Go, Umbreon!"

The Moonlight pokémon bounded forward, facing off against her Fire type opponent.

"BEGIN!"

"Flareon, use Sunny Day!"

"Umbreon, use Double Team!"

Both pokémon obeyed, as the sunlight grew much more intense, and thirty copies of the Dark type appeared surrounding the Flareon.

"Umbreon, follow up with Confuse Ray, then Toxic!"

The ray of energy hit the Fire type head-on, and it began stumbling about dazedly, drawing another smirk from Gary. A second later, Umbreon spat out a stream of purple liquid which hit the dazed Eevee without difficulty, badly poisoning it. Sebastian growled.

"Shake it off, Flareon, and use Flamethrower on the one that attacked you!"

For Flareon, it was like being in a house of mirrors while high on X Attacks. The ground seemed to be moving around, and there was an Umbreon everywhere. Somehow, through the distorted sound of the world around it, the Flame pokémon could hear its trainer's command. "…use Flamethrower…"

Obediently, the Flareon spat out a jet of flame, spraying it in all directions. None of the Umbreons ever took a hit; instead, the sun-dried grass around the Flareon burst into flame, giving off a cloud of smoke. The smell of the burning grass was enough, however, to bring Flareon to its senses. The Eeveelution shook its head, looking around at the ring of Dark type Double Teams. Sebastian was doing the same, looking for the one pokémon that was slightly off…there!

"Flareon, use Fire Blast on the one at two o'clock!"

"Umbreon, use Endure!"

The Fire type spun, the inferno of flame spewing from its mouth taking the shape of the character _Dai_. The attack struck, dealing severe damage to Umbreon, whose eyes were closed as she braced against the conflagration.

When the blast ended, all of Umbreon's copies had disappeared, and the Dark type herself was barely staying upright, one eye half closed, and the clear signs of severe burning on her left side. Sebastian laughed.

"Ha! Not so tough now, are you?"

Gary's face looked pained, but he ordered his Umbreon to attack anyway. "Use Flail!"

Umbreon charged forward, wildly swinging her tail and head, slamming into Flareon with the force of a rampaging Tauros.

* * *

><p>May winced. "That is a good tactic, because Flail is at its most powerful when the pokémon has almost no health, but…that must hurt."<p>

Misty nodded. "Yeah, you can tell by the look on Gary's face that he's not enjoying using this tactic."

* * *

><p>The attack did massive damage, leaving both Flareon and Umbreon swaying on their feet. It seemed to be a competition as to whether the burn would finish off Umbreon first, or the poison would knock out Flareon, as neither pokémon seemed to possess the energy to move any longer.<p>

Gary smiled. "Umbreon, use Moonlight!"

"What!"

Umbreon weakly raised her head up, and the rings on her body glowed. The glow spread to her entire body, and her posture grew more and more assured. Finally, the glow faded. Umbreon stood straight, the only remaining injury being the burn on her side. Gary was still smiling.

"Umbreon, now use Heal Bell!"

The Moonlight pokémon's rings glowed again, and a sound like a chiming bell resonated through the arena, as Umbreon's body was suffused in blue light, erasing the burn marks completely. After only a few seconds, the light faded, leaving Umbreon completely healed, a victorious smirk on her face. Calmly, she strutted towards the panting Flareon, whose vision became more and more blurred.

She stared at him for a moment, before turning and smacking Flareon across the face with her tail. The Flame pokémon flew a few meters, and hit the ground. It didn't get up.

"SEBASTIAN IS OUT OF USABLE POKÉMON! THE WINNER OF THIS BATTLE IS GARY OAK!"

Nodding her head in satisfaction, Umbreon trotted back over to her trainer, who reached out and scratched her behind the ears.

"Nice job, girl."

Umbreon smiled from the praise, offering a happy "Eon!" before abruptly turning and glaring up at Pikachu again. Gary followed his pokémon's gaze, seeing his friends. He smiled again, and headed into the tunnel.

* * *

><p>The League Box was filled with the murmur of the occupants, as they all discussed the battles that had taken place. Well…almost all of them.<p>

"Hey," realized Whitney. "Where're Maylene and Brawly?"

The Sinnoh Leaders paled. The Hoenn Leaders looked a little worried.

* * *

><p>"Maylene, put me down!"<p>

"No! I'm going to challenge Satoshi to a match, and you're going to help me!"

"Sigh…fine…_now_ will you put me down?"

"Hmmm….no!"

"Sigh…not cool, Maylene."

* * *

><p>"Gary! How have you been?"<p>

The brown-haired researcher grinned as he and his Umbreon came up out of the stairwell, to enthusiastic greetings from the group.

"Hey guys. Long time no see, Misty."

Umbreon was focusing her attention on Pikachu, who was clinging to Misty's shoulder like a drowning sailor to a Floatzel.

"Um bre on, breonum." (Get down here, Pikachu)

"Pi ka ka pikachu pi!" (Not in a million years!)

Satoshi chuckled at the exchange, drawing Gary's attention. Noticing Gary's questioning expression, Misty made the introductions.

"Oh, Gary, this is Satoshi. Satoshi, this is Gary Oak."

The two men shook hands. Gary raised an eyebrow. "So you're the Satoshi that everyone's been talking about?"

The hooded man grinned. "Guilty."

Umbreon spared a moment from glaring at Pikachu to look at the Eevee sleeping in Satoshi's arms. Satoshi bent down, offering the Evolution pokémon to the Dark type. Umbreon sniffed Tayuminai, then gave a pleased nod. Gary's other eyebrow went up. "Wow. It's not often Umbreon acknowledges another pokémon on first meeting like that. Your Eevee must be quite strong."

Satoshi grinned. "Yeah, Tayu-chan really does make me proud."

Max also smiled. "It's true Gary! You should have seen Satoshi's battle! His Eevee can use Aura!"

Satoshi sighed, only resisting the urge to facepalm because Tayuminai was still asleep in his arms. Dawn giggled. "Didn't want everyone to know about that, did you?"

The hooded trainer shook his head. "No, I wanted her experience with using Aura to be her trump card, buuuuuut I guess I can't really expect such a young pokémon to be able to keep such a good secret for longer than a few hours." He smiled fondly down at his adoptive child. "Besides, it's only right for a child to try and surpass their father in the things he does best."

This statement brought a wave of shock to the group. "You – you can use Aura?" stammered Hikaru.

Satoshi nodded, seemingly unperturbed by the amazement of his friends. "Yes, it's how I talk to my pokémon in battle, we unify our Auras. It's also how I was able to fight that Biker so easily."

Brock shook his head, a wry smile on his face. "Well, that explains a lot."

Gary seemed excited, a familiar "mad researcher" gleam in his eye. Several others in the group recognized it; they had seen it often on their respective regions' Professors. "You can use it to communicate with your pokémon in battle? I thought only Lucario could do that!"

Satoshi backed slightly away from the Pallet native, clearly unnerved by Gary's eagerness. "Y-yeah, sure I can."

The group laughed as they headed down the stairwell and out of the stadium, Satoshi carefully fielding questions from the researcher.

* * *

><p>-A few minutes later, near Shima Gai-<p>

They were walking towards town now, and Gary had moved on from the communicative uses of Aura, and was now going a little bit overboard.

"So, are you saying that using Aura allows you to ignore the law of conservation of matter?"

Satoshi shrugged. "Not really sure. Considering the fact that most pokémon seem to ignore that and the law of conservation of energy, I'd say it's quite possible. Regardless, your theory that Aura is passed on through genetics is –" Satoshi pulled up short, his head cocked like he was listening to something only he could hear. "Well, well. Looks like we've got some company."

A moment later, a colorful blur from one of the rooftops resolved into a young, pink-haired woman carrying an older blue-haired man. Upon seeing Satoshi, the woman dropped her cargo, letting him hit the ground headfirst.

"Ouch…"

The pink-haired woman, garbed in fighting gear, turned to Satoshi, offering a traditional martial arts bow.

"Satoshi! I challenge you!"

The hooded trainer didn't look overly surprised. "Maylene, right? Veilstone Gym Leader?"

She nodded, dropping into her fighting stance. "Yeah! Brawly can be the referee!"

The blue-haired Hoenn native groaned as he climbed to his feet. "That hurt, Maylene."

The Sinnoh Leader stuck out her tongue. "Oh, get over it. So, Satoshi? Do you accept?"

Satoshi stared for a moment at Maylene, who, though her eyes were bright with determination, was desperately trying to suppress a blush. 'Ah yes, she was one of the fangirls the other day…this should be interesting.' He nodded, releasing Yugana, Taifuu, and Hirumanai. He looked apologetically at the last pokéball on his belt.

'Sorry, Sora-chan. Not really that safe with so many people around. I'll make it up to you later."

He gently handed Tayuminai to Yugana, who smiled down at the still-sleeping Eevee, then turned and dropped into his own battle stance. Nearby, a film crew who had been hoping for an interview with Satoshi or one of his friends picked up on the atmosphere, and began filming.

Brawly stood between them, his face now serious. "Challenger, your name?"

"Tobari-ryuu no Maylene!"

"Challenged, your name?"

"Kōken-ryuu no Satoshi."

Brawly nodded. The silence dragged out for several seconds, before Brawly jumped backward.

"Hajime!" (Begin)

Satoshi was the first to act, shooting forward with high velocity punch. Maylene blocked inward with her right forearm, spinning around with a reverse hook-kick to Satoshi's face. The hooded trainer stepped inside the scything kick, grabbing ahold of Maylene's knee and allowing her own momentum to carry her around, and then threw her off. The pink haired Gym Leader backflipped in midair, and landed on her feet, before charging back at Satoshi. She lashed out with a roundhouse kick, which Satoshi ducked under, before shooting his leg upward in a split-kick that reminded everyone present of his Lucario's earlier attack on Magmortar. Maylene, anticipating the kick the moment she missed, caught the blow intended for her jaw with crossed forearms. Even so, the kick still propelled her upward a significant distance. Once again, Maylene landed gracefully on her feet.

This time, however, neither trainer attacked, instead circling each other, searching for an opening. After almost a full minute of quiet – relative quiet, considering the crowd that was gathering – Maylene perceived a lull in the almost-visible (to her, anyway) area surrounding Satoshi, and charged. She launched a flurry of kicks, occasionally accompanied by an equally determined fist. Satoshi didn't even blink, as his arms blurred into motion, intercepting each strike with just his hands. Maylene's final punch he caught with the palm of his hand, stopping it dead, before jerking his arm sharply down, finally sending Maylene to the ground. She spun in place, shooting out a sweep kick at Satoshi's ankles. The hooded trainer easily dodged the kick, jumping backward several meters.

* * *

><p>"Wow," Hikaru commented, "This is a really amazing fight."<p>

"Of course," answered May, not taking her eyes off the fight. "Maylene is well-known to be a fighting genius, and Satoshi seems to be extremely skilled as well."

* * *

><p>Maylene kipped up to her feet easily, but instead of charging back toward Satoshi, she stood still, eyes closed, trying to even out her breathing. A pale white glow formed around her fists and feet. Satoshi raised an invisible eyebrow. "Ki channeling at your age? Very impressive, Maylene-san."<p>

Maylene, eyes now open, did not blush. She merely nodded in appreciation, and charged forward again, lashing out with another roundhouse kick, which Satoshi again parried with his forearm. This time, though, the force behind Maylene's blow was too great, and Satoshi's arm was batted aside, leaving his left side completely open for the follow-up snap kick. Satoshi turned to lessen the impact, but Maylene's kick was powered by her ki, and as the kick made contact, everyone nearby could clearly hear the sound of one of Satoshi's ribs cracking.

* * *

><p>Misty winced. "Ooooh, that didn't sound good."<p>

"Looks like Maylene has the advantage now," Max murmured. "Having a broken rib will definitely hurt Satoshi's ability to fight.

* * *

><p>To Satoshi's credit, he didn't even twitch when his rib broke, which was a good thing, considering Maylene's punch would have hit him right on the chin had he been distracted. He ducked under that one, knowing he couldn't block it. Maylene responding by launching another barrage of fists and feet, each one glowing white. Satoshi didn't even try to block, instead weaving between, under, and around each blow, like they were moving in slow motion.<p>

* * *

><p>The watching pokémon that didn't belong to Satoshi frowned. "Pi chu ka pi ka...Pika?" Pikachu observed from Misty's shoulder. (That looks a lot like…Detect?)<p>

**Yes,** the calm mind-voice from Yugana echoed through everyone's heads. **Satoshi-kun is indeed using Detect.**

Several jaws dropped. "I knew it! Satoshi can use pokémon moves! He used Extremespeed yesterday during his match with Hiroaki, and now he's using Detect!"

Brawly shrugged, taking his eyes off the flurry of motion that was Maylene and Satoshi to look at Max. "It's not that incredible really; Extremespeed is just moving really fast, Detect is just predicting the motion of attacks based on body language and trajectories. I've heard Janine and Koga can do something similar."

* * *

><p>Maylene growled as Satoshi wove around another kick. This was impossible! It was just like when Janine pulled that annoying dodging trick! 'Arceus how I hate Detect and Protect! Wait…' Maylene smirked. 'Ideaaa~'<p>

The Sinnoh Leader drew back for a moment, then shot forward again, her fist lashing out at Satoshi, who began to move to one side. Halfway through the motion, however, Maylene stopped the punch, instead launching yet another roundhouse kick to where Satoshi was going to end up.

'Feint!'

CRACK!

The kick connected cleanly, snapping three more of Satoshi's ribs, and sending him tumbling off to one side.

* * *

><p>Several people in the watching crowd gasped, seeing Satoshi take such a blow. Hikaru was looking confused.<p>

"Okay, that's like the sixth move that one of these two has used. Satoshi used Extremespeed yesterday, Maylene's used Close Combat twice now, along with what looks like Mega Kick and Mega Punch, Satoshi used Detect, and now Maylene used Feint? What the heck?"

Gary raised an eyebrow at the red-haired Trainer. "Is it really that hard to believe? Most Fighting-type moves are simply physical, body- based attacks. Martial artists have been using techniques like that since the dawn of time. Cross Chop, Brick Break, Seismic Toss, Low Kick, High Jump Kick…There's actually a theory that some martial artists or fighters taught pokémon those moves many millennia ago, and pokémon that specialized in those moves came into being shortly afterward. That's just a theory though. The reverse is probably what's actually true, and early martial artists mimicked pokémon fighting techniques. The only Fighting type moves I can think of that can't be done by martial artists are Aura Sphere, Force Palm, and Focus Blast. And I only mentioned Aura Sphere and Force Palm because they require some focusing of Aura, and very few people can do that."

While Hikaru tried to process the rather large hunk of information that had just been shoved through his ears, Brawly added his own two cents. "Actually, even Focus Blast can be done by humans. I know for a fact that Bruno can do it, and Chuck is getting there. Maylene and I…" he shrugged, "We probably won't be able to do it for several years, if ever."

* * *

><p>By this time, Satoshi had gotten to his feet, and was standing several meters away from Maylene, gingerly prodding his ribs. "Well done, Maylene-san. It seems I was arrogant in thinking that I could take down a ki channeller without any sort of help. I apologize." Abruptly, a grin spread across what little of his face was visible. "That doesn't mean I'm conceding the fight, though."<p>

The hooded trainer straightened, and then dropped back into his fighting stance. Blue flames burst into life around his fists, drawing gasps from several in the audience. Maylene's eyes widened, but otherwise she did not react.

Satoshi grinned again, and the flames around his fists burned a little brighter. "Watashi ni kuru."

Maylene obliged him, charging forward, throwing her fist out in another Mega Punch. Satoshi merely held out a hand, and caught the incredibly powerful blow with his hand. The shockwave of the punch being canceled out created a gust of wind that kicked up a large amount of dust, as well as causing Satoshi's cloak to billow rather dramatically. Neither combatant remained still for long, as Maylene lashed out in another Close Combat, Satoshi once again blocking all of them. After nearly a minute of this barrage, Maylene made a mistake, allowing Satoshi to launch his own counter combo, chaining together a series of Aura-infused palm strikes, elbows, and punches, which terminated in a powerful double-fist blow that blasted Maylene back almost ten meters.

The pink-haired Leader painfully pulled herself to her feet, panting as she did so. "Y-You're *gasp* r-rea-really good," she coughed out, smiling weakly despite the pain from Satoshi's attacks. "I guess *pant* I'll have to use it."

Maylene sunk into a stance, both hands positioned to one side of her torso, as if she was holding something.

Brawly gasped. "M-Maylene…you…"

Maylene smiled apologetically at the Hoenn native. "Sorry to spoil this for you, Brawly. I wanted to surprise everyone the next time I sparred Bruno. But this fight was just too tempting."

At that, the Sinnoh Leader fell silent, and every muscle in her body tensed. A white glow began to form between her hands, condensing and spinning into a tight ball of energy that steadily grew larger. Satoshi looked quite impressed, or at least his body language said he was impressed.

"Amazing, Maylene-san. To be able to use that at your age…"

Maylene grinned tightly. "It's taken me almost five years to figure out how to do this…but I did it."

Satoshi nodded. "Then let's see whose attack is stronger. Yours," a blue ball the size of a soccer ball swirled into existence on Satoshi's hand, "or mine?"

The Veilstone native nodded, as her own attack finished forming. Neither fighter moved for a few seconds, then, as one, hurled their attacks forward.

"Focus Blast!"

"**Ōra-kyū!**"

The two spheres collided. The resulting explosion knocked the closest bystanders completely off their feet, and kicked up a large cloud of dust. After allowing a few moments for the suspense to build, Yugana dispelled the cloud with a minor exertion of her mind.

Maylene was on all fours, gasping desperately for air. Clearly the Focus Blast had taken up most of her energy. Satoshi, meanwhile, stood impassively a few meters away, looking down at her.

"You fought well, Maylene-san. I am extremely impressed."

The pink-haired teen nodded in appreciation, then collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Satoshi gently picked her up and carried her over to Brawly, who took her into his arms.

"Take care of her. She really did well."

With that, Satoshi turned and walked off, Misty and her friends hurrying to catch up.

* * *

><p>-Rocket Base, Sennichi no Shima-<p>

Giovanni hummed to himself as he watched the hooded figure of Satoshi walk out of sight of the news camera that was broadcasting its live footage. The scouting party had stated that Team Four had been defeated by a hooded man with a powerful Lucario and Floatzel. Very few people met those requirements, and the fact that one such person was a clear competitor in the tournament made it rather obvious as to who had defeated the commando team. Giovanni wasn't worried about the team's defeat; they hadn't used anything that could possibly connect them to Team Rocket. But Satoshi…he was an unexpected variable. He had powerful pokémon that he could command silently, he was capable of using Aura, as was demonstrated in his fight against Maylene. And that Eevee…

Giovanni's eyebrows furrowed in thought. Satoshi seemed to be quite friendly with the Waterflower girl and her companions. 'Hmmm…that might provide us with a perfect opportunity to test the depth of Satoshi's abilities and those of his pokémon…' He pressed a button on his chair.

"Vice-Executive Saturn?"

"Yes, Giovanni-sama?"

"It is time to activate the Nebula Protocol. Ensure that he targets Waterflower and her friends."

"Of course, Giovanni-sama." The words were obedient, but the tone clearly carried some reservations.

"You sound worried, Saturn."

"No, sir, just wondering whether it is prudent to unleash him on the world again. You remember what happened prior to his incarceration."

Giovanni's tone became frosty. "None know better than I do, Vice-Executive Saturn. Rest assured there will be fail-safes. Activate the Nebula Protocol." He pressed another button, ending the conversation. A great weight seemed to suddenly drop onto his shoulders, and he opened a secret compartment in his desk, and took out a pair of pictures. Affection tinged his voice as he stared at the images. "I will succeed, I promise you. Even if it means damning myself."

* * *

><p><strong>*CracktheSkye walks in*<strong>

**Hello again, everyone. There really is nothing else to say but I am so sorry. I know this chapter was delayed by a month, and that it's probably not up to my usual levels, but a combination of finals, AP exams, and a huge fight with my parents that ended with me losing my computer for almost three weeks, and only managing to get to it long enough to get the story onto a flash drive…Gomennasai. **

**And now to business on the chapter.**

**The movie reference **_**Duel at Brass Tower**_** is a reference to the move **_**Duel at Ichijoji Temple**_**, a samurai film that is one of three depicting the (partly fictional) life of famed swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Since Brass Tower in in Ecruteak, and Ecruteak is modeled on Kyoto, where Ichijoji Temple is…yeah, a little obscure, but whatever.**

**I will freely admit to Yugana's Technique being based off of Kuchiki Byakuya's Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi from Bleach. I hope you all like Tayu-chan's first fight. The sword will eventually get an explanation, so don't worry. Finally introduced Gary into the story. Did I do a good job with his fight? He'll get better ones eventually.**

**Hashiru, Tayuminai – Run, Tireless**

**Tobari-Ryuu : Curtain Style, taken from the Japanese name for Veilstone City**

**Kōken-ryuu: Guardian Style. Jinsei Kōken (from last chapter) literally means life guardian.**

**Thanks for being so patient, and I really am sorry about how late the chapter is.**

**Speaking of which, we finally have fifty reviews! Yatta! Thanks again to hlf1495 for her review! Let's go, mina-san! TO ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS!**

**Please Review, if you don't, Tayuminai will cry! We don't want that, do we?**

**Flamers, meet Misty's Surfing Pikachu.**

**Ja ne!**


	7. Movement Six: In the Golden Afternoon

Disclaimer: Do I own Pokémon? WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?!

Movement 06- In the Golden Afternoon

Main Theme: Going Home by Shiro Sagisu [Bleach OST #1]

May's Theme: Battle Frontier Japanese Opening by Takaya Akina

Dawn's Theme: Paradise by Coldplay

Mewtwo's Theme: The Master by Nakagawa Kotarou [Code Geass R2 OST #1]

Getting Serious: Quincy's Craft by Shiro Sagisu [Bleach OST #3]

* * *

><p>-Shima Gai, Noon-<p>

"To making the elimination rounds! CHEERS!" Misty shouted, raising a glass.

"CHEERS/KANPAI/PIKA/VEE!" Everyone else responded, raising their own glasses in response. Granted, most of them were not holding alcohol, Pikachu was holding up a bottle of ketchup, and Tayuminai didn't have opposable thumbs, so Satoshi had to hold up her glass for her, but that wasn't the point. Misty, Max, Gary, and Satoshi had all advanced from their qualification brackets into the elimination rounds.

"So, do you guys know who you'll be facing in the round of 32 yet?" May asked, propping her chin on the hand that wasn't holding her glass.

"No, they haven't," answered Max, who was watching the updated list of trainers who had made it on his PokéNav. "But most of the League Members who are competing made it. Oh!" Max's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Damn. Paul made it."

Most of the group growled, and Brock's glass cracked a little in his hand. "Great…the king prick."

Satoshi frowned, as an image of a purple-haired young man with a sneer on his face appeared in his mind. "Who's Paul?"

"An…acquaintance…of ours. He's a strong Trainer, but he treats his pokémon like crap. Doesn't think emotions belong in a pokémon battle."

Satoshi cocked his head, his mouth neutral. "Sounds like a somewhat unpleasant person."

Dawn nodded emphatically. "Yeah, and he always struts around like he's all that. It really gets irritating."

"The guy's an ass, plain and simple," spat Misty.

Satoshi nodded, feeling the intense dislike through the group's auras. 'This Paul must really be an unpleasant person, if all of them find him so deplorable.'

**Just remember, Satoshi-kun, Sensei always told us not to judge on first meeting someone.**

**Yes, I remember, Yu-chan. Especially considering that he was using his Plusle and Minun during that lesson.** Satoshi shuddered, drawing the attention of the others.

"Something wrong, Satoshi?"

The hooded trainer shook his head. "No, I'm just remembering my sensei. He often lectured us on matters such as emotions in battle."

Dawn immediately perked up at the mention of Satoshi's master. "Your teacher…does he live in the Kami-Kyoku no Yama as well?"

Satoshi grinned wryly. "Caught me. Yeah, Sensei lives in the heart of the range. You can only find his home if you already know where it is, though," he quickly added, seeing the prospective gleam in Max and Dawn's eyes. "And Sensei probably wouldn't take you as students. From what I can gather, practitioners of Aura cannot seek out their masters; the masters must offer the chance to learn to their students. My Sensei told me that the first principle of teaching someone in Aura is that 'When the student is ready, the teacher appears.'"

The coordinator and trainer slumped. "Awwww…"

"So," May continued, taking Dawn's role as the interrogator, "What does your sensei say about emotions in battle, then?"

Satoshi was quiet for a few moments, then shrugged his shoulders in a "whatever" motion. "He always told us that emotions should be suppressed in battle. They can impact your focus, and will often give the enemy an advantage to use against you. However," he continued, holding up a hand to forestall Max's outburst, "He also said that those emotions are what make the greatest trainers in the world what they are. If you look at the Champions, you'll notice that every single one of them cares deeply for their pokémon, and they put passion into every battle. At the same time, they do not allow their emotions to impair their judgment. You agree, ne Oak-san?"

Gary blinked, and then nodded. "Yeah. And please, Professor Oak is my grandfather. Call me Gary."

Hikaru interrupted, looking confused. "Wait, what do you mean, Gary agrees?"

Satoshi turned to look at the redhead, raising an invisible eyebrow. "You didn't notice his battle style?"

Hikaru just looked even more lost. "Battle style?"

Gary and Satoshi both grinned. "Come with us."

* * *

><p>-Sennichi no Shima Practice Fields, 12:30 P.M.-<p>

Like most cities and towns, Shima Gai had a large area located nearby that was devoted to battles. At almost every hour of the day, you could find a battle there. There was a joke that a town needed three things to be called a town: a place of meeting, a place for travelers to stay, and a field for battles, and if you were missing the first two, you could use the third for all three.

The group was currently walking along the edge of the fields, while Hikaru was being treated to a lecture by Gary and Satoshi. May and Dawn had split off, heading back to the shopping district.

"There are several different descriptions of battle – whoop, duck – styles." Gary began, breaking off to dodge underneath a stray Pin Missile.

"Each battle style has its own advantages and disadvantages," Satoshi picked up, casually weaving around a wildly-aimed Thundershock, despite the fact that Tayuminai was perched on his shoulder. "The first style, and the most common, is simply called Basic. This is what most Trainers start out with. It's based on simple attack and defense. If your enemy attacks, you defend. If you attack, your enemy defends. You use moves as they are, without setting up long term tactics. Very little complication to it, but a reliable style."

"The next style, and this is the one I use, is called Analytic, or Conditional. This battle style revolves around finding your opponent's weak points, and maximizing the condition of the battle to your advantages. Boosting stats and inflicting conditions like poisoned, paralyzed, or burned are common in this battle style," Gary lectured, "If you remember, I used Umbreon's low health to our advantage, because Flail gained massive power after she was badly hurt, then had her heal herself, while her opponent had no such opportunity. This battle style requires a lot of thinking ahead, but it is extremely effective when used properly."

"The third style is called Instinctive. Trainers that use this style almost always end up becoming well-known. You can't learn this style, it's something that can takes years to perfect if you have the capability to use it."

"Why?"

"Trainers who can use Instinctive…have an unusual affinity for battles. They are, for lack of better words, naturals. They have an understanding of battling that goes deeper than tactics. I've heard it described as being able to feel a battle's 'spirit'."

Satoshi nodded. "Yes, that's probably the best description for it." At the raised eyebrow from Gary, he shrugged. "Yes, I use it. So does Sensei. But anyway," Satoshi continued, "Instinctive battle is the hardest style to use, mainly because it more of a philosophy than a strategy. Cynthia and Lance are both Instinctive battlers. Wallace is actually an anomaly. He is one of the few trainers in living memory to become a Champion using Basic style."

Misty broke in, gesturing to Brock and herself. "Brock and I both use a combination of Analytic and Basic. There are other battle styles, such as Dawn and May's, which use their opponents' moves against them, and the battle style exclusive to Psychics, which uses their precognitive abilities and mind-reading to predict and counter their opponents' attacks."

"Koga and Janine base their style around status conditions and avoiding direct combat. Steven allows his pokémon to soak up damage, then deals severe damage with slow, but high-powered attacks," Brock contributed. "In reality, there are many more battle styles, but that's some of the more well-known and documented ones."

"Each pokémon has their own unique skills, which can contribute or detract from whatever battling style their trainer uses." Satoshi finished. "It sometimes can take years for trainers to figure out exactly what their battle style is, and even longer to perfect it."

The lecture ended, with Hikaru's mouth hanging open. "I never thought…that battling went so deep…"

Satoshi nodded, a smile beneath his hood. "Battling alongside pokémon has been part of our world since the dawn of time. It is only right that such a sacred – whoops, that was close! – representation of two races is so deep and complex."

Misty stared at him. He had made a very wise statement, but it was hard to take seriously when he dropped into a full split to avoid a Flash Cannon. Everyone else joined in staring at Satoshi, who hopped back up to his feet as if nothing had happened. At their stares, he cocked his head, looking askance at Misty, a feeling of 'What did I do?' radiating from underneath his cowl.

Misty shook her head at the almost childish confusion of the hooded trainer. 'One moment he's all serious and knowledgeable, and the next he's like a ten-year-old child…it's almost like he has two people in the same body… Yet another mystery of Satoshi? Or just a personality quirk?'

The orange-haired girl shrugged off the thought, and refocused on Max, who was spluttering slightly, trying to explain to a baffled Satoshi why they were all staring at him.

* * *

><p>-Somewhere and Nowhere-<p>

**I have found him. **The voice was calm, confident, and sure in its statement.

**Do you really wanna do this? You know what could happen … **This voice sounded, paradoxically, both older and younger than the first, carrying both ancient wisdom and childish innocence.

**I will not be moved on this. I owe him a debt that I can never repay. As do most of us, I will remind you. **

**Do not presume to lecture us, young one.** This voice, though not as strange as the second voice, carried great weight and depth to it, as if spoken from the deepest parts of the ocean. **We know well what we owe to him. It is not an obligation we take lightly. **

Another voice joined in, this one more feminine than the third, feeling of bright skies, and the warmth of the sun. **Even those of us who do not owe him a debt favor him. When it is time, rest assured that we will act.**

**I know. It was not my intention to insult. But he is my **_**friend**_**, and that is something that I will honor. I failed him once. I will not fail again.**

The second voice sighed. **So be it. But remember the consequences, as they will be yours to bear.**

**I understand. I'm going.**

The first voice's presence faded, leaving the second voice to sigh again.

**Will he be able to do it? **The fourth voice sounded concerned.

**I dunno. He learned a lot, but…This one may be beyond him. We must wait and see.**

A fifth voice, sounding vastly more powerful than any of the other voices, replied. **Indeed, we shall see. How much he has learned…how much they both have learned.**

* * *

><p>-Sennichi no Shima, Waterside Promenade, 7:30 PM-<p>

The group had spent almost five hours at the fields, observing other matches or fighting mock battles. Satoshi had abstained from using his own pokémon, instead opting to borrow pokémon from the others. Even with unfamiliar pokémon, the hooded Aura user had won every match. Gary was still a little annoyed that his Arcanine had lost to Max's Sceptile while Satoshi was commanding it.

"I still don't get why that Leaf Blade was able to beat my Flamethrower. That's just wrong."

Satoshi shrugged. "Flame needs oxygen to survive. I just had Sceptile move quickly enough to suck away the oxygen."

Gary facepalmed. "Gah…should have thought of that."

Misty and Brock chuckled. It was rare that Gary was beaten in battle tactics. It was his specialty.

After visiting the fields, they had gone to one of the waterside parks and Brock had cooked dinner for them all. The picnic dinner was one of the most enjoyable meals anyone there could remember having in years.

The group continued to walk along, laughing and joking. Satoshi had seamlessly melded with them, as if he belonged there. Everyone seemed to get along with him, even though he still was so ambiguous about his origins. The way everyone was smiling, it was almost like having A – Misty stopped her train of thought dead.

'Stop it. Satoshi is his own person. Stop trying to make him Ash's replacement. That's not fair to him or Ash.'

The redhead shook herself, not noticing the concerned glance Satoshi shot at her.

'Waterflower-san…'

But before Satoshi could say anything, a massive pressure slammed down on them. To those that had been in the Pokémon Center when Satoshi registered, the feeling of being simultaneously drowned and crushed was intensely familiar. Several trainers around them passed out. Others collapsed on their hands and knees. Satoshi himself did not react, but looked somehow pleased when Misty only stumbled before steadying herself.

"S-Satoshi, are you the one doing this?" Gary managed, trying to force his body to stand back up.

The hooded trainer shook his head. "No, this is someone else's doing…"

The pressure abruptly doubled, forcing both Gary and Misty back down to their knees. At the same time, a sound like a lightning bolt shattering glass rent the air. Satoshi's head snapped up, followed by everyone else's.

In the middle of the air, nearly twenty meters from the ground, a crack appeared. The crack split wider, then burst open, revealing a swirling maelstrom of black-on-black. Rather than showing any indication of movement with color difference, the strange color seemed to give the _impression_ of movement and energy. But the creature emerging from the void was what drew everyone's attention.

It was tall, and mostly a greyish white, with a large purple tail. Its hands possessed only three digits, and its feet, which appeared to be digitigrade, had only two toes. The head appeared vaguely catlike, with two stubs that looked like either horns or ears, and a tube that arched from the back of the head to the middle of the back.

Misty gasped. "Mewtwo…"

Indeed, it was the Genetic pokémon. He floated out of the rift, which closed behind him, and simply floated in midair, arms crossed. Staring at Satoshi.

In the shadows, Koga's eyes widened. "Janine…go get Cynthia and the others."

His daughter, whose eyes seemed to be even wider than his, nodded, and sped off.

"Mewtwo?" questioned Satoshi, not taking his eyes off of the strange pokémon, despite the splitting headache he felt, as more strange – and yet, familiar – images surged through his head. An island in the middle of a massive storm…Mewtwo and…Mew? hurling attacks at each other…a feeling of intense coldness…Mewtwo again, this time injured…carrying Mewtwo on his shoulder…a sound of water…a roaring sound like an avalanche…The same blinding white beam…

Satoshi banished the images and feelings from his mind, forcing himself to focus.

Brock spoke up from where he was holding himself up with his arms, his legs already having collapsed. "Mewtwo is an artificial pokémon. From what he told us when we met him, he was cloned from Mew by Team Rocket. He's an extremely powerful Psychic type."

"Yeah, but he wasn't this _strong_ the last time we saw him." Misty retorted, her hand already inching toward a pokéball. Pikachu, feeling her tension, began to build up charge in his cheeks. Umbreon and Gary readied themselves also, despite being unable to stand up straight. Satoshi noticed.

"Oh, you guys can't stand, can you?" the hooded trainer grinned – and abruptly, the pressure was gone. "Is that better?"

As they got to their feet, Misty asked the question on everyone's mind. "What was that?"

Satoshi shrugged. "That was Pressure. Mewtwo was exerting it on everyone here. I just countered his pressure with my own."

Max sweatdropped. "I'm pretty sure that's not how Pressure works…"

Gary opened his mouth, but was quickly cut off by Misty. "Lecture later. Right now, focus on Mewtwo."

At that exact moment, the Psychic type began to descend towards the group. With the exception of Satoshi, every member of the group had unclipped a pokéball and expanded it to full size, waiting on tenterhooks for any show of aggression. The hooded trainer did nothing, although he could feel Tayuminai building up Aura. Slowly, Satoshi reached down, then held up Tayuminai's empty pokéball.

**Get in the ball, Tayu-chan.**

**But Papa-san…!**

**Tayu-chan, can't you **_**feel**_** how strong Mewtwo is? You're strong for your age, but this pokémon is on par with the Legendaries. He'd probably wipe you out before you had time to blink.**

**But…!** Satoshi shook his head, and pressed the button on the ball, withdrawing Tayuminai in a stream of red.

**Just stay in there, okay? I don't want you hurt.**

At that moment, Mewtwo stopped descending, and floated just above the ground, still staring directly at Satoshi.

For a moment, all was quiet.

Then, Satoshi stepped forward, and bowed to the Genetic pokémon.

"Hajimemashite, Mewtwo-dono. I am Satoshi."

With his head inclined, the hooded trainer missed the look of surprise and, somehow, hurt that flashed across Mewtwo's face for a moment.

**Why do you bow to me? Raise your head.**

Satoshi complied. "It is the respect you are due as a pokémon of such strength, Mewtwo-dono."

If Mewtwo was flattered by Satoshi's statement, it didn't show. He did, however, glance over at Misty, Brock, and Pikachu, and nod slightly at them. **Misty, Brock, Pikachu. Hello.**

Misty, who had relaxed slightly, smiled a little. "Mewtwo. How have you been?"

The Psychic type turned his head back to Satoshi, his expression not having changed in the slightest, apart from a slight narrowing of his eyes. **I have been well. But…that is not why I am here.**

Brock raised an eyebrow, lowering his pokéball. "Then why _are_ you here?"

For a long moment, Mewtwo's mental voice fell silent. **For him.**

Without warning, a wave of Psychic force blasted outward from Mewtwo, hurling everyone except for Satoshi backwards. With a cry, Pikachu released a Thunderbolt, already seeking to retaliate. Without taking his eyes off of Satoshi, Mewtwo raised a hand…and the attack redirected harmlessly into the ground.

Satoshi was already in motion, his hands snatching all four of his older pokéballs from his waist, and hurling them forward.

"Minna…!" (Everyone…!)

**No.** Mewtwo gestured with the same hand, and the pokéballs stopped midflight, and shot back towards the other trainers, joined by Satoshi's fifth and last pokéball. The moment that the balls struck the ground, they flashed open, and five blurs shot out, heading back toward Mewtwo, two trailing blue energy. Mewtwo made a sweeping motion with his left hand, and all five of Satoshi's pokémon slammed into a dome that enclosed Satoshi and Mewtwo. At the same time, the Pressure that had still been pressing down on all of the bystanders seemed to become muted.

Not wasting an instant, Satoshi's pokémon began slamming attacks into the barrier. Taifuu and Sorahime both launched streams of their respective elements, while Tayuminai and Hirumanai slammed Aura-boosted attacks into the shimmering wall of energy. Yugana raised both her hands in front of her, towards the barrier, and the air between her and the barely-visible dome seemed to shimmer like heat rising off of a desert. Not to be left out, Misty released her pokémon and ordered them to attack the barrier as well. Pikachu needed no orders, as he was already hurling electricity at the barrier. Brock, Gary, and Max had also released their pokémon and were assaulting the dome.

And still it held.

* * *

><p>-Within the barrier-<p>

Satoshi did not look away from Mewtwo for an instant, even as the dome around them was besieged from all sides by pokémon attacks.

**They will not rupture this barrier. **Mewtwo, also, had not broken eye contact with Satoshi. **You recognize it, don't you? Nothing short of a Legendary can breach it, and anything below that level of strength will merely strengthen it.**

Satoshi did not reply verbally, instead communicating with his Aura. **Recognize it? I have never seen it before in my life.**

For a moment, a look of hurt flashed across Mewtwo's face, and Satoshi could feel a ripple of sadness as the Psychic lost control over his own emotions again.

**I… had hoped that enough of a shock would maybe help you remember… **Mewtwo schooled his face into a blank expression again, even as a wave of regret washed over Satoshi's senses. **If you will not remember…**

Mewtwo suddenly teleported right in front of Satoshi, a three-fingered hand already curled into a fist. The blow took Satoshi completely by surprise, and he was almost knocked over, but backflipped into a fighting stance. Mewtwo also assumed a stance, one hand stretched outward in front of his body, while the other was held above his head.

**Then I will force you to!**

Satoshi sprang forward, his fist already crackling with Aura. Mewtwo, hand glowing with psychic force, deflected the blow, shooting his front leg up in a knee-strike blow that Satoshi twisted around by millimeters. The hooded trainer spun, a glowing blue foot scything upward toward Mewtwo's head. The Genetic pokémon's tail whipped around, canceling the kick. Abruptly, Mewtwo vanished from in front of Satoshi, only to reappear in the trainer's blind spot, his fist speeding into the side of Satoshi's head – and through it. Mewtwo's eyes widened, before he teleported away from a double fist blow that came from _his _blind spot.

**An afterimage? Impressive.**

Satoshi did not respond, and instead seemed to concentrate for a moment. A moment later, four perfect copies of the hooded trainer appeared next to him. Unruffled, Mewtwo stilled, and four copies of his own materialized. The combatants stared at each other for a long moment.

**Shall we, Jinsei Kōken?**

Satoshi – all of him – smirked.

**Watashi ni kuru.**

* * *

><p>-Outside the barrier-<p>

Yugana's brow furrowed as she explored the strange dome that separated her from her trainer. She had been drawing from everything Sensei's Xatu had taught her in the art of barrier-breaking, and still this obstacle escaped from her understanding…Ohhhhh…

Yugana took a moment to cut out Tayuminai from the mental link she had formed with her comrades and allies. Then, the Gardevoir did something she rarely did.

**Arceusdamnit!**

Hirumanai, Taifuu, and Sorahime all stopped dead. Yugana almost _never _cursed.

"Zel floatzel, zelfloat?" (What is it, Yu-chan?)

**This barrier is dimensionally based, and being maintained by a Legendary.**

**Son of a ground-type. **Hirumanai seemed unsure whether to be pissed or panicky.

"Char…." (Toxic….)

**Ummmm…minna? Why do you all feel so angry? **Tayuminai asked, backing away from the barrier for a moment.

**This barrier is dimensionally-based, which means that the user uses a form of Trick Room, mixed with Barrier and Reflect. It warps the adjacent dimensions around it, so any attack's power is fed back into the barrier itself. As long as the user has the power to hold the original techniques, the barrier won't come down.**

**So that means…**

**Yes. **Hirumanai answered. **We won't be able to get through the barrier unless we have a legendary-level dark type attack.**

**But, what about Papa-san!? He's still in there, Hiru-nii, Yu-nee!**

Yugana picked up the young Eevee with telekinesis, embracing her gently. **We will just have to wait and watch…and hope Satoshi-kun wins.**

Hirumanai rested one of his forepaws on Yugana's shoulder. **Master will always find a way to pull through. He has never given up on anything as long as I have known him.**

"Zel…Floatzel zel float zelfloatzel…" (But…Mewtwo is a legendary…)

**Satoshi-kun will do it…I know it. **Yugana's mental voice was confident, holding absolute faith in her trainer,_ knowing_ that he would succeed.

In other words, it was everything but what she was feeling.

'Satoshi-kun…'

* * *

><p>-Within the barrier-<p>

The entirety of the space inside the shield had become a battleground. In the short two minutes since Satoshi and Mewtwo had begun to fight in earnest, the ground, formerly quite flat, had become riddled with craters and broken pieces of earth and rock.

**Soshō Ao Shōgeki! **

**Psywave!**

Satoshi's fists were deflected by a ripple of force, and the hooded trainer backflipped away, firing a barrage of Aura Spheres in midair. Mewtwo responded with a wave of Shadow Balls, then spun to block a spinning roundhouse kick from another Satoshi, who was promptly destroyed by a copy of Mewtwo. In reply, two of Mewtwo's other copies were decimated by lightning-fast kicks to the sides of their heads. Mewtwo himself backhanded another Satoshi, then hurled the copy into another, destroying both Satoshi clones and a Mewtwo clone that the second Satoshi had been grappling with.

**Ao Jōshō Kama! **(Blue Rising Scythe)

Satoshi swung his leg in another kick, launching a shot of Aura that bisected the remaining clones. Without pausing, the human spun, blocking a Psychic-reinforced axe kick from the real Mewtwo. The ground underneath Satoshi buckled from the force, but the trainer himself remained standing.

**Very impressive, Jinsei Kōken.**

Satoshi nodded. **You as well, Mewtwo-dono. As expected from someone of your stature.**

Both combatants leapt backward, Satoshi immediately taking up a ready stance. Mewtwo, however, stared a Satoshi for a moment, his face unreadable. After several seconds of thought, the Psychic type held out his right hand, and seemed to pull on some invisible object.

As if by magic, a giant spoon, almost tall as Mewtwo himself, materialized in the Legendary's hand. Mewtwo spun the spoon by its handle a few times, then settled into a combat stance.

**Prepare yourself.** With those words, Mewtwo shot forward, swinging the spoon with one hand like a club or sword. Satoshi channeled Aura to his arms, raising them to block the weapon. Mewtwo didn't even attempt to change course, electing instead to continue the head-on attack.

With a sickening _crack_, the spoon slammed into Satoshi's lower left arm – and shattered it. Gritting his teeth, Satoshi grabbed the spoon's handle with his right hand, and brought his right foot up, only for Mewtwo to yank the spoon backward, and spinning to deliver a tail strike that propelled Satoshi all the way into the barrier. Within a second, Satoshi was on his feet, but remained at a distance, cradling his left arm, mouth a thin line. For several seconds, the hooded trainer seemed to stare intently at his arm. Abruptly, the entire arm erupted in blue flames. The flames lasted for two heartbeats, and then disappeared, leaving the arm none the worse for wear.

Satoshi seemed to relax, and began to clench and unclench his fist, testing his arm out. Mewtwo looked genuinely impressed.

**Self-healing? **_**Very**_** impressive.**

Satoshi looked back at Mewtwo for a few moments…and then smirked.

**That spoon…it's your focus, isn't it?**

Mewtwo nodded, a matching smirk on his face, as he spun the weapon gracefully in his hand.

**Yes. It is both my focus and my favorite weapon.**

The hooded trainer smiled even wider, and his whole body tensed. Aura began gathering around the trainer, but instead of dancing like flames, the Aura seemed to arc and branch like electricity. Before Mewtwo's eyes, the aura sparked outward, glowing brighter and brighter, until Satoshi was surrounded by a dense web of blue-white Aura.

* * *

><p><strong>Yu-nee, is Papa-san…?<strong>

**Yes, Tayu-chan, he is. **Yugana hugged the young Eevee a little closer to her chest, a smile on her face. Next to her, Hirumanai stood like a statue, arms crossed, but the small curve at the edges of his mouth betrayed his emotion.

"_Char_ char charizard?" (_Now_ he gets serious?)

"Zel float float zel." (This should be good.)

* * *

><p><strong>You have done me the honor of drawing your weapon in battle against me, Mewtwo-dono. It is only fair that I do you the same honor.<strong>

Satoshi held out his right hand, and the web of Aura that was surrounding him brightened once again, before collapsing inward in a brilliant flash.

The glow faded, revealing Satoshi. In his hand was one of the most beautiful swords Mewtwo had ever seen.

It was four and a half feet long, with no _tsuba_, a blue-white blade and a cream white handle. The _hamon_ was jagged, looking like a bolt of lightning that ran from the base of the blade to the tip.

**Hakai-ten. **(Fractured Heavens)

* * *

><p>Misty gaped at the blade.<p>

"Where did _that _come from?"

Hirumanai answered her without taking his eyes off the battle. **That is Master's weapon. The blade of lightning, Hakai-ten. We don't have to worry about him now. **

Misty relaxed just a little bit. The air of victory coming from all of Satoshi's pokémon, even Tayuminai, was enough for her. "Everyone, return. Pikachu, to me."

Gary turned to her, a question on his face. She grinned back. "Everyone, withdraw your pokémon. Satoshi can handle this one."

Everyone looked baffled, but did as she asked.

Yugana and Hirumanai moved over to stand with the trainers, both of them smiling.

**Don't worry, minna-san. Satoshi-kun will definitely beat Mewtwo.**

* * *

><p><strong>A beautiful weapon, Jinsei Kōken. Now…<strong> Mewtwo spun his spoon around, then dropped into a stance. **Are you ready?**

Satoshi grinned, and vanished. Mewtwo spun, deflecting the downward slash that came from behind. A spin of his weapon, and Mewtwo thrust the handle of the spoon toward Satoshi's midsection. The hooded trainer blocked, and then spun on his front foot, swinging the nodachi up diagonally, the entire length of the blade crackling with electricity.

_**Shiden! **_(Blade Flash)

Mewtwo dodged the slash, but was unprepared for the lightning that arced off of the sword as it hissed past him. His muscles locked up, leaving him open to Satoshi's roundhouse kick that followed the sword upward. The kick hurled Mewtwo backwards, slamming him into the barrier. Satoshi blurred forward, sword raised for a finishing strike, only for Mewtwo to teleport out of the way, and swing his spoon down at Satoshi's unprotected back. The spoon struck – and passed cleanly through the afterimage, splitting the ground beneath like a hot knife through butter.

Mewtwo changed to a two-handed grip, using the spoon as if it were a staff to deflect Satoshi flurry of counterstrikes, then gestured with one hand. Behind him, sharpened rocks levitated off the ground and shot towards his opponent. Satoshi leapt backwards, then swung his sword around in a powerful arc as the spears of rock neared him.

_**Ikkatsu!**_ (Roar)

A sound like distant thunder rippled out from the blade, followed by a wave of concussive force that reduced the spears to clouds of dust. In the same motion, Satoshi continued his sword's arc around to lock the blade against Mewtwo's spoon. For a long moment, the two struggled, leaning their weight into each other's weapon.

Before Satoshi could react, Mewtwo's hand shot out, slamming into the grip of Satoshi's nodachi, and knocking the sword out of the hooded trainer's hand. In the microsecond before Satoshi could escape, Mewtwo's tail landed a blow squarely into the hooded trainer's torso, sending him skidding further away from his sword. Mewtwo teleported in front of Satoshi, holding the end of his spoon at Satoshi's throat. The hooded trainer grinned, and blurred into motion, kicking the spoon up into the air, and gaining distance with a backflip. In midair, the trainer held out a hand.

_**Kitosasu!**_ (Returning Stab)

Mewtwo was confused for a split second, before his instinct screamed at him. Eyes wide, the Psychic teleported to the right. As he did, Satoshi's nodachi shot through where Mewtwo had just been, and landed in its wielder's hand. Still in midflight, Satoshi drew back his sword, and kicked off the air, much as his Lucario had done earlier in the day. The sword swung downward toward Mewtwo, who conjured a Barrier to block the strike. Satoshi flicked the angle of his sword ever so slightly, and the edges of the sword seemed to blur. There was a loud crack, and as the sword struck the translucent wall and was stopped for a moment, the shockwave caught up.

_**Ikkatsu!**_ (Roar)

There was a sound, audible even to those outside, like a clap of thunder, and Mewtwo's Barrier shattered. The shockwave that had broken the barrier kept going, ripping into the Legendary's torso.

As if thrown by a great invisible hand, Mewtwo rocketed backwards, and slammed into the barrier.

Slowly, Mewtwo got up, blood leaking from his mouth. Wincing, the catlike pokémon pressed his hand to his diaphragm.

**Well done…ugh…I did not expect such a technique.**

Mewtwo's hand glowed, followed by the place where Satoshi's attack had struck.

**Recover.**

The glow faded, and Mewtwo straightened, a smirk on his face as he wiped the blood from his mouth. He held out his right hand, and his spoon reappeared, pulsing with energy.

**A single blow?**

Satoshi nodded, and then changed his stance, his sword levitating, unsupported, next to his hip. One hand rested on the handle, the other just above where the sword was floating. Mewtwo responded, holding his spoon in both hands, even as it began to glow even brighter. Satoshi's nodachi, by contrast, did not visibly change, although those watching felt as though it had somehow become even more powerful.

For a long moment, neither combatant moved. Time seemed to stand still, as if it, too, was waiting to see what would happen.

As one, both trainer and Pokémon blurred into motion. Satoshi's sword speeding out in a Iaido strike that cut through the very air. Mewtwo's spoon, although slower, left behind a glowing wake of pure energy. The distance was closed between them faster than the eye could blink.

"**Enough."**

A figure appeared directly between the two attacks. In the next instant, Satoshi's sword and Mewtwo's spoon stopped dead, their eyes wide in shock.

This person had stopped their attacks _with his bare hands._

"**I must confess, young one, I am impressed with how strong you have become. With how strong both of you have become."**

The man was tall, at least as tall as Satoshi, and lean, with pure white hair, green eyes, and a face that would probably steal at least half of Satoshi's fangirls. He wore an immaculate white suit, and appeared entirely calm, as if he had not just stopped two Legendary-strength attacks with his _bare hands._

**Hiru-kun, did he just…?**

**I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes, he did. **Both Hirumanai and Yugana's mouths were gaping, and they weren't alone. Everyone present was displaying some form of shock.

"Unbelievable…" Max whispered.

Misty only nodded, busy concentrating her empathy on the man. She couldn't get a lock on his emotions. It was like trying to sense the emotions of someone on the telephone, all she felt was a vague echo of…satisfaction? Amusement? It was hard to tell.

Then, Mewtwo's barrier shattered, and the Legendary pokémon dropped to one knee in front of the man in white.

For a moment, everyone was frozen. Then, Satoshi's pokémon tensed, and Hirumanai and Taifuu both prepared to leap to their master's defense.

"**Yare, yare," **drawled a voice from behind them, **"Don't ya think ya'll're rushin' things a bit? Stay put." **

With the last two words, a distortion in the air appeared around Satoshi's pokémon, and Taifuu jumped forward, heedless of the voice's warning…and Taifuu jumped forward, heedless of the voice's warning…and stopped. Confused, he attempted to jump forward again, but was stopped by Yugana's outstretched arm.

**Don't bother, Tai-kun. It's a time rift. As of now… **Yugana turned halfway, glaring behind her. **We are at their mercy.**

As one, everyone turned toward the two figures that were approaching them from behind. They made an odd pair. The male was tall and lanky, wearing jeans, a grey t-shirt, and a dark-blue hoodie lined with silvery fur. His spiky hair was a similar color, blue with silver highlights. In his left hand, he was absently flipping a balisong, smirking widely. The woman next to him was shorter than he was, and dressed in _miko_ robes. She had long white hair, shot through with light pink highlights, and was the very picture of calm. Both had brilliant red eyes, and, much like the white-haired man, Misty could only catch an echo of their emotions.

"**Ya'll jus' chill your heels," **continued the man, as he tossed the knife into his right hand. **"Ain't no reason for everyone ta start goin' fer each other's throats."**

The woman rolled her eyes. **"Must you be so vulgar?" **She turned towards Satoshi's pokémon, offering an apologetic bow. **"Please excuse my brother's behavior. As you can see," **she glared at the man next to her, **"He tends to act quite crude."**

A vein popped in the man's forehead. **"Oi, wha' th' hell're ya talkin' about, bitch?"**

"**I am, of course, referring to you intentionally slowing time before the final clash in order to build up the suspense."**

"**Th' HELL YA SAY! Ya expanded space inside th' dome so there'd be more room fer their techniques, ya got no righ' ta be pointin' fingers't me! Stupid cow!"**

"**Hmph. You prove my point without me having to say anything else. Vulgar fool."**

"**Eh!? What's tha'? Ya wanna fight? Let's go, ya stuck-up li'l priss!" **The man spun his knife out, holding it up, while the other hand pulled a switchblade from his jacket.

"**If you wish to make a fool of yourself once again, oh thick-skulled brother of mine…"**

The woman's eyes gleamed, and she reached into the sleeve of her robe, drawing out a gleaming tantō.

"**Children!" **snapped the white-haired man. **"Behave!"**

Almost instantly, the knives and tantō were sheathed, and both sibling bowed in unison.

"**Gomennasai, otou-sama."**

"O-otou-sama!?" Everyone's eyes bulged. Max lifted a slightly shaky finger.

"I-isn't that guy only a few years older than they are? What's going on here?"

Satoshi's eyes narrowed. 'Father? Such overwhelming power…the male can manipulate "time"…and the female "space"…'

His eyes widened. "Y-you are…!"

Yugana's eyes widened as well, as she realized the same thing as her trainer.

**Minna-san, whatever you do, don't attack! These aren't normal people! They are…!"**

"**Oi, let us introduce ourselves!"** interrupted the blue-haired man, as he and his sister moved over to stand between the white-haired man and the trainers and their pokémon. **"Dialga!"**

The _miko_ bowed to the trainers again. **"My name is Palkia. Dozo yoroshiku." **(Pleased to meet you.)

Satoshi looked again at the man who had stopped his sword barehanded. "And that would make you…"

The man grinned, and held out his wrist. Dangling from a thin chain was a golden wheel, inset with jewels.

Mewtwo broke in. **Forgive me for my foolish actions, Arceus-sama!**

Arceus smiled at the young Legendary. **"You have done nothing wrong, child. Return to the Hall."**

The bangle on his wrist glinted, and a tear in reality appeared next to Mewtwo, who reluctantly got to his feet, glancing back at Satoshi. **Forgive me, my friend…**

Before Satoshi could question what Mewtwo meant, the Legendary disappeared into the rift, which closed behind him. Arceus turned back to Satoshi. **"So…even after young Mewtwo's efforts, you still do not remember? It seems that a more…direct method is needed.**

In less than an instant, the white-haired man was in front of Satoshi. He extended a single index finger, and tapped the surprised trainer on the forehead, beneath the hood.

_Ba-bump._

Satoshi stiffened, then collapsed to his knees.

**Master!/Satoshi-kun!/**"Satoshi!"/"Charizard!"/"Floatzelzel!"/"Chukapi!"/**PAPA-SAN!**

The cries, though in unison, were varied. The humans charged forward, already reaching toward their pokéballs.

"**No." **Dialga sounded bored, gesturing vaguely with his left hand, as the humans were frozen in place. One of Gary's pokéballs, already in motion, was stopped in midair. **"We can' go'n let y'all mess wi' what Father's doin'."**

Yugana's eyes narrowed, her voice betraying the anger she felt. **What is he doing to Satoshi-kun?**

The Legendary in human form smirked. **"I don' see no reason ta be tellin' ya tha'."**

Hirumanai and Yugana's faces both contorted into snarls of fury, before, an eyeblink later, an eerie calm spread over their faces.

**Taifuu, Sorahime, Tayuminai…please return. **Calm as Yugana's voice was, there was frightening steel to it, one that compelled the three pokémon to obey without question. Yugana secured the three pokéballs on herself, before she and Hirumanai both turned to face the Legendaries who were preventing them from reaching their trainer.

**I see. Then, if you will not allow us to pass… **Hirumanai's body began to emit Aura, and Yugana's eyes narrowed once again. W**e will go through you.**

Palkia looked at the two pokémon askance. **"And how do you propose to do that?"**

Yugana held an arm out, then swept it sideways. **Jigokukei:** **Chou Jikuu Ikou. **(Hellscape: Superdimensional Transposition)

There was a sound like a burst of static, and Yugana and Hirumanai seemed to flicker for a moment.

Then, they stepped forward…and through the time rift, as if it weren't even there.

Dialga and Palkia gaped. Arceus looked mildly impressed.

**Ready, Hiru-kun?**

**Always.**

Hirumanai leapt forward, Metal Claws at the ready, while Yugana gracefully moved backwards. The Shiny pokémon clasped her hands, as if praying.

**Banshō no Da ra ama:** **Jikū no Umare **(Litany of All Creation: The Birth of Time and Space)

A burst of energy rippled outward from Yugana. As the wave spread outward, it touched the trainers, unfreezing them. Gary's pokéball finished its flight, releasing a Scizor. Misty and the rest also finished moving, Brock's Toxicroak, Hikaru's Sableye, Max's Sceptile, and Pikachu all took up battle positions.

Dialga and Palkia looked absolutely flabbergasted. **"H-how does she know…?"**

"What are you doing to Satoshi!?" Misty's anger had built to almost boiling, but beneath it was an undercurrent of fear. She was having flashbacks of six years ago, when she had been just as helpless, and only able to watch as the person dearest to her heart was taken away.

'No! Never again!' The redhead declared. 'I won't allow anyone else to disappear!'

With that decision, Misty suddenly began to glow, wisps of blue Aura streaming off of her shoulders and upper body. The others turned to her, surprised, but she was solely focused on her opponents. "I will not allow you to do as you please! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Scizor, Signal Beam!" "Sceptile, Razor Leaf!" "Sableye, Shadow Ball!" "Toxicroak, use Sludge Bomb!"

"**Hmph. Earth Power." **Palkia tapped a foot on the ground in front of her, and a wall of earth erupted upward, absorbing the attacks, though it fell apart a moment later.

Arceus shook his head, an amused smile on his face. **"It's getting noisy around here. Let's go somewhere quieter, shall we?"** The human avatar of the Alpha pokémon placed a hand on Satoshi's shoulder, and vanished, taking the hooded trainer with him.

**Satoshi-kun!** Before anyone else could move, Yugana had teleported to Misty's side, and handed her Tayuminai's pokéball, along with Taifuu and Sorahime's capsules. **Tayu-chan, trace Satoshi's Aura.**

Misty didn't need any more explanation. "Tachiagaru, Ryū Shinzo!"

The ex-Gym Leader leapt onto the dragon's back, and took off.

"**Oi, I though' I tol' ya'll ta stay PUT!" **Dialga shouted, firing off an Ice Beam from his hand at the departing pokémon.

**Follow Me! **Hirumanai's shout coincided with the Ice Beam curving back down toward the ground, where he and Yugana were standing side by side. Next to them stood Misty's friends, who were also readying their pokémon.

**We will be your opponents right now.** Yugana declared, as she began to charge an attack on her hand.

Dialga and Palkia grimaced, but still took battle stances.

"**A'ight then…" **drawled the Temporal pokémon, his knives already out.

"**Show us your best." **Palkia declared, smoothly drawing her tantō once again.

* * *

><p>Misty released Tayuminai the moment they were out of range of most attacks.<p>

"Tayuminai, I know I'm not your parent or trainer, but I need you to help me. Can you find Satoshi?"

The little Eevee frowned for a second, then nodded. Her eyes glowed, and then she turned to look forward on the Dragonite. **Papa-san…is to the west.**

Misty nodded, trusting the Normal type. "Follow what she says Ryū!"

As the dragon banked toward the west, Misty clenched a fist.

"Hold on Satoshi…we're coming."

* * *

><p>-Elsewhere, High-Altitude Airplane-<p>

"Clyde-nii?"

The orange-haired Rocket operative turned to look at his sister. "Yes Bonnie-nee?"

"Remind me why we ended up on this task force again?"

"Because we are supposed to direct the subject toward Waterflower and her friends, who are known to hang around Satoshi. And because we were assigned to _observe_ Satoshi, it became part of our jurisdiction."

Bonnie's eyebrows raised in understanding, before furrowing in confusion. "Ohhh…So why are we freeing him?"

"Because he is a sufficiently dangerous opponent to test Satoshi, and because he holds a grudge against the others, he will be easy to manipulate."

"Drop in one minute!" A voice yelled from the cockpit. As one, the team of Rocket commandos began checking their gear.

"Ready nee-san?"

"Ready nii-san."

"Then let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, it's been a while. *Scratches back of head Mareepishly* Hehehe….Oops. Well, a combination of trying to start College Apps early, not being allowed to type on vacation…and I am one of the worst procrastinators on the face of the earth. Slowbro ain't got nothing on me. Plus, this chapter just didn't want to write itself. *Bows head to floor* Pleaaase don't hate me! I'm really really really really sorry! Look, I already have part of the next chapter started! I promise it will be here sooner! Please don't hate me!<strong>

**Mewtwo was an incredibly hard character to write, because he is such a human character, but at the same time, he has difficulty expressing himself. But we will see more of him later. He's awesome. I did borrow his spoon weapon (which can cut BUILDINGS in half) from the Pokémon Special manga. But Mewtwo is one of my favorite pokémon and characters. What did you guys think of Satoshi's fight? I wanted to make it exciting, but it was a fine balance between a total beatdown on Mewtwo and Mewtwo beating down. But rest assured, both of them have a whole slew of techniques in store. How about the avatars of Arceus, Dialga, and Palkia? Arceus, I sort of pictured Fate Averruncus from Mahou Sensei Negima! Palkia, just a stereotypical miko. If I was making this an anime, Dialga would have a Kansai accent. His character design is based on Izaya Orihara from Durarara!, with spikier, longer hair. Now, Terminology!**

**Balisong: Butterfly knife. Ya know, those cool flippy knives? Dialga's Steel type, so I figured knives would work well.**

**Miko: Traditional Japanese priestess. Google for pictures of the robes. Palkia's Water type, so, you know, gracefulness an all that stuff.**

**Hakai-ten: could also translate as "destructive heaven" or "cracked sky" (Get it? Get it?)**

**Tsuba: the guard of the sword. If you want a general picture of Satoshi's sword, look up Setsuna Sakurazaki's nodachi "Yunagi" from Mahou Sensei Negima! Nodachis are **_**awesome**_**.**

**Hamon: the wavy line that can be seen on the blade of most Nihontō. Each sword maker's hamon is different.**

**Cliffhanger, but next chapter should definitely be here sooner. We'll get to see the fight between Dialga, Palkia, and Satoshi's allies, we'll see what Arceus is up to, and we'll see what Team Rocket is doing.**

**If you don't review, I'll send Mewtwo and his BFS (Big F#cking Spoon) after you. If you **_**do**_** review…I don't know, I'll send you a cookie, or something…I might reply, I dunno.**

**Ja ne!**


	8. Movement Seven: Dances on the Sky

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. However, I do own lemons, sugar, and water. Using these special ingredients, I will start a lemonade stand, and from that lemonade stand I will establish a produce store, and from that produce store I will create a line of seemingly identical and low-cost supermarkets and then expand my business until I have enough money to branch out into other departments, such as cutting-edge electronics, car parts, and back-scratchers, and expand that business until it becomes a massive conglomerate that spans the globe. Then, I'll buy out Pokémon. And my Genius Plan to Take over the World in Order to Buy out a Much-Beloved Japanese Franchise© will be complete. And then I will sit in my high-rise office, sip my tea, stroke a white Siamese cat (adopted, of course) and chuckle to myself. Hehehehehe….hahahaha…Muhahahahahahaha….AHAHAHAHA!

"Nii-san, you're doing it again…"

* * *

><p>Movement 07- Dances on the Sky<p>

Main Themes:

I. The Lonely Shepherd by Gheorghe Zamfir and James Last

II. Congress Reel by Poitin

III. SWCC Boats by Nathan Furst [Act of Valor: The Score]

Arceus's Theme: Girei by Takanashi Yasuharu [Naruto Shippuden OST 2]

Palkia's Theme: Midare by Zumi-Kai [Koto Music of Japan]

Dialga's Theme: Lose Yourself by Eminem

* * *

><p><em>I. Memorie Pastorale<em>

-Small Island, Several Miles West of Sennichi no Shima-

Arceus and Satoshi arrived without fanfare on the small, rocky islet. There was no flash of light, no bending of space-time, no rift in reality. One moment they weren't there and the next, they were. Arceus released his grip on Satoshi's shoulder, and the hooded trainer slumped to the ground like a ragdoll. Arceus turned away, looking back in the direction they had come from.

He chuckled. **"Well, it seems Miss Waterflower is already on her way here... You really do seem to attract the most remarkable people."**

The white-haired man frowned slightly. **"Hmm…a little too quick, I think. Let's delay her a bit."**

The bangle on his wrist glinted again, and two copies of him appeared. The one on the left had pale white irises, an icy blue tie instead of Arceus' white tie, and similar-colored highlights in his hair. The one on the left had sky-blue eyes, tie, and highlights.

Without a word, the two copies vanished. The avatar of the Original One turned back to where Satoshi was.

"**It is up to you now."**

* * *

><p>Black.<p>

That was the first thing Satoshi noticed when he opened his eyes. He was lying on the ground, face up. At least, that was what it felt like. There was no sound, apart from his breathing, and his heartbeat. He looked around. It felt as if he were lying on a sheet of glass, but all he could see was the same expanse of featureless darkness. Oddly enough, he could see himself perfectly. He was missing his cloak, but otherwise he seemed fine.

The trainer climbed to his feet. In every direction, it was the same. Endless, featureless black. It was unnerving, simultaneously seeming to press in until he couldn't breathe, and expand outward into infinity.

Satoshi closed his eyes, trying to reach out with his Aura. A split second later, his eyes snapped open.

"Nothing?" he wondered aloud, noting that his voice seemed to echo slightly. "How is that possible?"

Experimentally, he took a step forward. Or, he thought he did, at least. There was no way for him to be able to tell.

"Am I dead?"

There was a deep chuckle from behind him. **No, you're not…for once. Although, if you die one more time, I may revoke your death privileges for a century or two.**

Satoshi spun around. Floating behind him, radiating a feeling of amusement, was a pokémon with long white hair, a single visible blue eye, and wearing what appeared to be a tattered black robe with a red collar.

Satoshi dropped to one knee. "Darkrai-dono."

The ruler of nightmares sighed. **Stand up. Honestly, are you going to do this to every Legendary you meet?**

Confused, the amnesic trainer stood back up. "My apologies, Darkrai-dono."

Darkrai waved a hand dismissively. **Bah, it doesn't matter.**

"So…if this isn't death…where is it?"

Darkrai shrugged his shoulders. **There's no good way to explain it that you would understand. Just think of it as…a crossroads.**

"For what? From where?"

Another chuckle. **Well now…that really depends...which way you go.**

Satoshi frowned quizzically. "What ways are there to go?"

**Somewhere. Nowhere. Everywhere. It really does depend on where you want to go.**

There was a sound like three bells chiming in harmony, and Satoshi could feel the new arrivals behind him. Not through Aura, the all-encompassing energy was still absent, but through his feelings. There was a feeling of happiness, one of determination, and one of wisdom.

Satoshi turned and began to kneel, only for a blue colored tail to smack the back of his head.

**Hey! Don't go and start kneeling! We're all friends here! Except maybe for Darkrai, but he's always such a sourpuss, so he doesn't count! **The voice was positively brimming with energy. It came from the left-most member of the newly-arrived trio.

**Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf. Good to see you again.**

**Umm…Y-you as well, Darkrai.** Mesprit's voice was quiet, shy…but had undertones of every other emotion imaginable, as if at any moment, she might break into tears, or scream out in anger. It was an odd feeling, to say the least.

**You look confused, Satoshi. **The voice of Uxie held a calm detachment, with just a hint of amusement, as if she knew something you didn't.

'Although, I suppose she _does_ know something I don't.' Satoshi thought wryly to himself. 'Being the – '

**Spirit of Knowledge and Wisdom, yes?**

Arceus above, she sounded like –

**Your Sensei? Yes, I suppose I do.**

Was she going to keep –

**Doing that?**

Satoshi's eye twitched. 'Must not – '

**Attack the Spirit of Knowledge, Must not attack the Spirit of Knowledge…**

Satoshi slumped. 'I give up.'

Mesprit's voice sounded pleading. **Uxie, please, stop being so mean. I-I mean, if you don't mind...**

**Okay, okay, you're right. It is his party after all. **

"Party…?" Now Satoshi was completely lost.

**Party? Why didn't anyone tell me about a party? I could have helped set it up! I love parties, ooh, what's this party for? **Azelf was practically bouncing in place, which seemed odd considering she was already floating.** Wait, don't tell me, I wanna guess, ummmm….Oh! We're celebrating Satoshi's new baby pokémon hatching right? No, we're celebrating him making new friends? Ooh, I know, I know! We're having a Give-Satoshi-back-his-memory-party, right?**

Uxie sighed at her sister's antics. **Well, that's it I guess…as Azelf has so kindly pointed out, we're here to help you get back your memories, Satoshi.**

Said trainer's eyes widened. "R-really?"

**Of course! There's no way you're going to be able to handle the upcoming cri-mmph!**

Azelf's high-speed mental chatter had somehow been silenced as though she had just had her mouth covered. A slight glow from Uxie's tail gems indicated the cause, as the yellow-and-blue Legendary radiated a sense of exasperation. **Honestly, why you ended up with just Willpower is beyond me. We should have just split off Happiness or Laughter from Emotions and made you Spirit of that. No offense, Mesprit.**

**N-none taken, Uxie.**

**Anywaaay, **Darkrai broke in, sounding slightly awkward, **I've gotten him here, he's your job now.**

Uxie nodded. **Yes, thank you, Darkrai. Give Cresselia our regards.**

If Satoshi didn't know better, he would have said that Darkrai was _blushing_. **N-no problem. By the way, **the Dark type's gaze cut over to the still-moving Azelf, who was now trying to do some form of dance to communicate. **I could try to drop her in a Dark Void for a while, if you need her quieter.**

Uxie shook her head. **Don't bother. Her bouncing around and constant talking pretty much acts like a running Uproar.**

Darkrai's eye twitched in unison with Satoshi's. **What. **"What."

The Psychic type shrugged. **I don't get it either, sorry. I've known her our entire lives, and I'm the Spirit of Knowledge, and I still don't understand her. We've pretty much written it off as Azelf being Azelf.**

**Right then…**Darkrai nodded to Satoshi,** I'm off. Take care of yourself. Remember what I said about dying again…**

The Legendary vanished in a swirl of darkness, leaving Satoshi with the three Spirits. The trainer cleared his throat. "So, what now?"

Uxie's face suddenly became dead serious. **You have to understand, Satoshi, retrieving your memories is not going to be easy. Pursuing knowledge is often painful.**

Mesprit joined in, her voice surprisingly firm. **It will be hard to control your emotions. You may find yourself drowning in your own sorrow, or lose yourself to anger.**

Uxie's tail gems stopped glowing, and Azelf's voice was once again audible, and for once, the hidden steel in it was laid bare. **You will need all your will to maintain yourself. The place where your memories are is not safe for mortal beings. If you are not careful, you will lose yourself, and you will be torn apart.**

The Spirits of Wisdom, Emotion, and Willpower floated in front of Satoshi, their gems pulsing with growing intensity.

**Are you prepared? **They asked as one voice.

The human thought for a moment. 'My memories…who I was before I woke up in Sensei's home…who I knew, what I did…how can I say no...But… what if the person who I was isn't someone I want to be?'

Abruptly, memories sprang up in his mind. Not memories that were his-but-not-his, but those that he had made in the last six years…Hirumanai's unshakeable loyalty…Yugana's unconditional affection…Taifuu's dependability…Sorahime's detached contentedness…Tayuminai's bright-eyed adoration…the laughter of his Sensei when Satoshi made a silly mistake…the smile on Misty's face at the festival…

'That's right,' Satoshi thought to himself, clenching a fist in determination 'They don't care who I was...they care about who I _am_. And even if I was a bad person in the past, I won't let it change who I am and who I will be.'

"Yes. I'm ready."

Uxie nodded. **Very well.**

In that moment, Uxie floated in front of Satoshi, with Mesprit and Azelf forming a triangle around the trainer. Their gems glowed even brighter, and Mesprit and Azelf's eyes shone with power.

**Good luck.**

Uxie opened her eyes, making contact with Satoshi's. At the same time, Mesprit and Azelf reached out and touched Satoshi on either shoulder. A pillar of blinding white light erupted around Satoshi, and just as quickly vanished, taking Satoshi with it.

* * *

><p>The Spirits had not lied to Satoshi. It was agonizing. He felt as if his skin was on fire, his blood moving too quickly in some places, and almost stopped in others. His lungs burned, and his heart froze. Images and sensations flitted before him, indescribable, incomprehensible, and painful. He…who was he? Why was…?<p>

Conscious thought seemed to end, and emotions dominated. Fear. Fear of the pain he was suffering, fear of the pain getting worse, fear of vanishing into the pain. Then, anger. Anger at being cast into this state of existence, anger asking 'Why me?'. Then, confusion. When had he been cast into this existence? Hadn't he always been here? He…was he a he? What was it? It wasn't sure. It couldn't remember. There was only uncertainty, and pain.

* * *

><p>Tayuminai felt hollow, as if something important inside her had vanished. 'Papa-san?' A chill of fear raced through her heart. <strong>PAPA-SAAAAAN!<strong>

* * *

><p>Its emotions continued to separate, to split away from each other, unable to tolerate each other's presence, like separating descants to the constant melody of pain. Then, a voice called out, sounding like it came from far away, and under water.<p>

…_Papa-san…_

With the voice came an image, and a sensation. The bright, adoring eyes of a newborn child, and the love, fierce and protective, that was born in that instant.

The feeling and the image became a rock in the roiling torrent. Some of the emotions latched onto it, like sailors from a shipwreck. Happiness. Love. Loyalty. They chained together, and reached out. Others joined together, and latched onto the growing spot of stability. Like gravity, the will to survive drew the other emotions in to it. Fear, sadness, even anger; none of them could resist the willpower of all the other emotions combined. The pain faded.

His name was Satoshi.

* * *

><p>Satoshi gasped, and opened his eyes. The world around him was twisted and strange, with no discernible shapes or colors. The pain was still there, but it was removed. And there, in the distance…Satoshi steered himself toward…whatever it was, through the shifting currents that had shortly before tried to rip him apart.<p>

The Aura user drew closer to what had caught his attention.

It was a door. Plain, unassuming, with a simple doorknob.

Satoshi floated just in front of the door for a moment, then placed a hand on the knob, and entered.

The door opened to a soothing white light. For a moment, he felt as if he was suspended in warm water, then the sensation faded, replaced by a warm breeze, grass underneath him, and the rustle of leaves. The light faded from his vision, revealing an idyllic scene; a vast, verdant pasture with the occasional bush, sloping gently down to a clear lake, hemmed in by trees. But Satoshi's attention was solely focused on who was in front of him.

The young man was wearing travel-worn sneakers and ripped and faded blue jeans. Under a slightly-tattered blue-and white jacket was a black t-shirt, and a familiar-looking red-and-white cap was perched on his head. The boy, who couldn't have been older than sixteen, cocked his head. Two identical pairs of brown eyes met.

"Took you long enough to get here…" the boy grinned. Satoshi grinned back.

"Hello Satoshi."

"Hello Ash Ketchum."

* * *

><p>-Offshore of Sennichi no Shima, heading west-<p>

Tayuminai slumped against the Dragonite's back, as it winged out from the island towards where her Papa-san was. For a few frightening moments, the comforting warmth of her Papa-san had vanished, before suddenly reappearing, as strong as ever. She wasn't sure what Arceus was doing that caused it, but she was _not_ going to let it take away her Papa-san.

Next to her, Misty hugged Pikachu to herself, the little mouse offering no resistance to the embrace. They too had felt the awful chill a few moments ago, but they had no idea to what the cause was.

"Is…is this from…Satoshi?" Misty wondered aloud.

**Don't worry, **Tayuminai reassured the redheaded trainer. **Papa-san is okay now. And he's strong, so he'll definitely be able to hold on until we get there.**

"**I'm afraid we can't let you do that, little one."**

Misty's Dragonite pulled up short. In front of it, standing on midair like it was solid earth, were two men.

"Wha…Arceus? Two of him? And why different colors?"

The ice-blue-colored avatar shrugged. **"I'm Ice."**

His counterpart made a similar motion. **"I'm Flying. I guess you could call us…aspects."**

Misty paled, but recovered quickly. "Then…would I be right in assuming that we have to get past you to get to Satoshi?"

"**Correct."**

Misty ran a hand over her pokéballs. Most of the team she had at the moment were land-based pokémon, and thus not well-suited to aerial combat.

'Pikachu will work if I keep him on Dragonite's back…'

**What about Tai-nii and Sora-nee?**

The Eevee's comment reminded her of the two other pokéballs Satoshi's Gardevoir had shoved into her hands. Satoshi's pokémon…from what she had seen of them, they both were incredibly powerful…and the Charizard would be able to counter the Ice aspect, taking the pressure off her Dragonite.

Without hesitation, she released both pokémon, with the Floatzel crouched on the Charizard's back.

"Can you two take care of the Ice one? Pikachu and I can handle the Flying aspect."

Taifuu gave a solemn nod, and Sorahime snorted affirmatively. Jumping off of the Dragonite's head, Tayuminai landed just behind Taifuu, already building up her Aura. A split second later, they shot forward, a bolt of fire already issuing from Sorahime's mouth. The Ice Arceus smoothly moved to the side, only to be hemmed in by a swarm of glowing-white birds. He shot upward, the only direction remaining, and spun at the last moment to catch a bolt of bone-chilling energy in his right hand.

In a motion that was almost too fast for Misty to even see, the aspect turned and hurled the impromptu spear of ice towards her mount.

"Vee!" (No!)

Even as Misty's Dragonite maneuvered away from the attack, the speeding lance was shattered by a swarm of Tayuminai's Hidden Power.

"Zel Zelfloatzel zel zel!"(Your opponents are us!) Taifuu snarled, as Sorahime and her two riders interposed themselves between Misty and the Ice aspect.

Misty smiled, reassured by the confidence and determination that was radiating off of the three pokémon in waves. A moment later, the smile dropped off her face, and she turned back toward the Flying aspect.

"Pikachu, start hammering him with Thunderbolts. Ryū, let's get set up. Tailwind and Safeguard, then start using Dragon Dance. He's Flying, so that means most of his techniques are probably Air-Cutter based, unless he comes in close. If he does that, get him with Thunderpunch."

True to Misty's prediction, the aspect gestured with a hand, even while weaving around Pikachu's barrage of electricity.

"**Air Cutter."**

Dragonite easily wove around the blade of air, before beginning the energy build-up of Dragon Dance.

"Pikachu, Shockwave!"

"Pi-ka!" (Got it!) The surge of electrical energy rippled outward, leaving no room for the aspect to dodge.

The attack struck home, singing the edges of the suit the aspect wore, but Arceus showed no visible reaction. "Ryū, use Extremespeed and Steel Wing!"

The orange and tan dragon's wings glowed white, and the pokémon shot forward, Misty and Pikachu gripping tightly to its back.

The aspect watched dispassionately as the dragon and its rider approached at blurring speed. He held out a hand, and snapped his fingers.

"**Airburst."**

The air in front of Dragonite exploded violently, with a sound like the loudest firework in existence.

The blast front rippled outward at the speed of sound. Misty's Dragonite was not traveling nearly as fast. Dragonite ran headlong into the blast front, and physics took over. The pokémon was sent flying backwards even faster than it had approached, tumbling tail-over-teakettle through the air.

Misty and Pikachu lost their grips, and it was only Misty's reflexes that kept them from being thrown into space. She wrapped one arm around the electric mouse, and the other arm was thrown around the dragon's thick tail.

"Ryū, Iron Tail Throw!"

The dragon glanced at her, concerned, but obeyed. It stabilized itself, before slinging its trainer forward with a glowing tail, adding a spin to her motion in the process.

The aspect moved further away. **"You won't be able to hit me from there."**

Misty smirked. "Oh?"

The redheaded trainer allowed herself to revolve one more time, before throwing her arm forward. Pikachu, perched on that arm, leapt upward at the same time. As she reached the apex of her arc and began to descend again, Misty savored the look of surprise on the aspect's face, and stuck out her tongue cheekily.

"Pikachu, use Discharge!"

"CHUUUUUUUUUUU!"

The yellow mouse was less than ten feet from the aspect when it unleashed the electric detonation. Dragonite had already swooped down, neatly catching Misty on its back, and was hovering in place. A second later, after the last of the electricity had dissipated, Misty spotted Pikachu in free-fall, while the aspect seemed to have gone higher in an attempt to escape the blast.

Misty's Dragonite smoothly swept below Pikachu, and the yellow mouse landed nimbly in front of his trainer. Misty smirked, and directed her mount to get up to Arceus' altitude.

As the dragon rose higher, Misty could see the extent of the damage done by Pikachu's Discharge. A large amount of the suit was ripped and torn, and the entire left sleeve, which he had probably shielded himself with, was completely burnt off, and the skin below was red and blistered. Despite the fact that this pokémon in human form was trying to attack her, Misty couldn't help but wince sympathetically.

Discharge, unlike most Electric moves, was not a directed attack. Even Thunder was an attack that was directed through the path of least resistance toward the target. Discharge was exactly what its name implied, a high-intensity release of electricity in every direction. As a result, it traveled through paths of greater resistance, which produced an incredible amount of heat, at the cost of a significant amount of the actual electricity in the attack. When a Pokémon with enough power used the attack, it was actually equally as likely to cause a burn as it was to paralyze.

Arceus had clearly experienced that firsthand.

"Feel like letting us through yet?"

The aspect grimaced, but did not respond. Instead, he raised an arm, fingers poised to snap.

Misty's eyes widened. "Ryū, dive!"

"**Airburst."**

The dragon dove straight down a fraction of a second before the air above it exploded. Undeterred, Arceus snapped his fingers again, following their motion with his arm. Rapidly.

'Shitshitshitshitshitshitshii iiit!' Misty thought, as Dragonite frantically sped up, desperately trying to stay ahead of the chain of invisible detonations. 'How do we get past _this?_'

* * *

><p>"<strong>Ice Shard!"<strong>

The Ice aspect's attack was answered by another flock of Tayuminai's Hidden Power, with interest. The remaining white birds homed in on Arceus, who calmly conjured an icy shield out of the moisture in the air.

With a loud roar, Sorahime expelled a maelstrom of flames from her mouth, the Flamethrower destroying the shield without any visible effort. Arceus danced backward in midair, his hands already throwing up more shields of ice in an attempt to slow the red-hot flames.

Sorahime banked sharply to one side, swerving around the already-melting shields, and Tayuminai unleashed a broadside of Hidden Power, while Taifuu conjured a Razor Wind, unleashing it a second later, following the wake of the white swallows.

Arceus launched a mass of Ice Shards to counter the attack, but was caught by surprise when the Razor Wind appeared from the shadow of the Hidden Power. It slashed into him, leaving several deep cuts in his arms and legs.

"**Ngh…well done…" **Within a second, the blood from the aspect's wounds froze, then shattered, leaving unwounded skin visible through the tears in the suit.

Taifuu's eyes narrowed. "Floatzel…" (Cheater…)

The aspect merely shrugged, and gestured. Behind him, at least twenty spears formed out of ice, then shot forward, homing in on the great Charizard. The Flame pokémon rolled to one side, and swept her tail through the air, the heat rippling outward and causing a noticeable shimmer.

Most of the spears melted as they passed through the Heat Wave, but several continued on towards the target. Reacting quickly, Taifuu spun, using a Double Hit to knock two of them away with his tails, and a Swift attack to block three more. Tayuminai, for her part, blocked the remaining four with an overpowered Protect, although the act left her panting for breath, and she slumped against Sorahime's back, exhausted.

That was a mistake. A second later, Sorahime suddenly accelerated, then made a tight turn to make an attack run on the aspect. Taifuu, used to such maneuvers, easily kept his balance. Tayuminai, tired and not used to fighting, did not, and was hurled out into open air.

"ZELFLOATZELZEL!" (Tayuminai!)

Instantly, Sorahime noticed her mistake, and turned as sharply as she could, only to be brought up short by a barrage of Ice Shards. The aspect, it seems, had not noticed the Normal type's plight. Angrily, the Charizard obliterated the ice, and turned to dive toward her adopted sister.

It wasn't going to be enough. Sorahime had made the turn at her top speed, which meant that Tayuminai had been slung off her back at the same speed mid-turn. The little Eevee was in trouble.

* * *

><p>It was weird, Tayuminai reflected, as she plunged to near certain death in the ocean below. She should have been shrieking, or flailing her legs wildly, or…something. She should have at least been panicking.<p>

But she wasn't.

She felt…calm. The wind rushing past felt oddly comforting, like curling up in her Papa-san's arms. Instinctively, Tayuminai's Aura activated, the ability that had been with her since birth reaching outward in all directions. Tayuminai _saw_. She could see the panic in Tai-nii and Sora-nee, the exasperation and frustration in Misty, the surging power and determination in her Pikachu, and the calm faithfulness in her Dragonite. She could see the aspects, merely a pale reflection of something much greater, something that she could not see. It was too big. To the east, she could see Hiru-nii and Yu-nee, in the midst of an elegant and fierce dance with Time and Space. To the west, she could see another fragment of the Original One, larger than the other two. With him was her Papa-san, who was there…and yet not there. But he was alive, and unharmed, and that was all she cared about. But this was not what she was looking for.

And then Tayuminai's Aura turns, and looks inward. She perceives her own abilities, the moves she knows…and the moves she _will know_. It is thrilling…but not what she is looking for.

_Further…_

She can feel the inborn abilities, the fragments of her mother and sire. A flash of a cool forest, the flow of a calm brook. The warm, comforting presence that is her father, fiercely protective and loving. A connection that had been formed even before she hatched. But not what she is looking for.

_Further…_

She finds the light that is her Aura, bluish-white and beautiful, entwined with the very center of her being, and she opens herself to it.

Her eyes open, and she allows her Aura to flow, gently guiding it with the force of her instinct, allowing it to take shape on her back.

And Tayuminai, offspring of Green-Breeze-Leaf and Strong-Current-Rapids, daughter of Satoshi, no longer falls.

She _flies_.

* * *

><p>Taifuu and Sorahime gaped for a moment, joined by an eyebrow arch from the aspect.<p>

One moment, Tayuminai had been falling, tumbling through the air. The next, her body erupted in the sky-blue-and-white Aura that was uniquely hers, focusing on her back. The stream of Aura brightened, then faded, as the little Eevee stopped falling.

Sprouting from her back, glowing faintly, were a pair of translucent, feathered _wings_.

The wings flapped, and Tayuminai gained altitude, until she was hovering in place next to her adoptive siblings. Catching their flabbergasted looks, the Eevee grinned.

"Zel, Zelfloatzelzel…float zel…float?" (Hey, Tayuminai…are those…wings?)

The Normal type nodded enthusiastically. **Un! Aren't they cool! **

"Char char charizard?" (Where'd they come from?)

Tayuminai frowned, a look that probably would have drawn squeals from May and Dawn. **I don't know…I guess they're from…my Aura.**

Sorahime thought for a moment. "Charizard char izard char char…" (Your Aura is Flying-aligned…)

Tayuminai nodded. **That must be it! Anyway, I was falling, and then I sorta…pulled them out of my Aura. They don't even use that much of it! **She underlined this statement with an excited backwards loop.

The aspect blinked, staring at the excited Evolution pokémon. **"I…don't think I've ever seen a winged Eevee before…"**

**You got that right! And now we're going to show you exactly what a winged Eevee can do!**

Tayuminai's wings flapped, and she spiraled upward, dozens of Hidden Power "birds" forming around her.

**Tai-nii, Sora-nee…**The Eevee's eyes narrowed. **Ikuzo.**

* * *

><p>"<strong>Air Cutter, Airburst, Air Slash, Air Slash, Airburst, Airburst."<strong>

"Oh come ON!" Misty groaned, as the aspect spammed air attacks at her. Dragonite was doing an admirable job of staying ahead of the seemingly-unending chain of attacks, but even he couldn't keep going like that forever.

'Think Misty, think! This attack has a weak point somewhere!'

The redheaded trainer narrowed her eyes. 'Air Slash is a Special…but that move Airburst…I've never seen anything like it. Is it special or physical?'

"Pikachu, use Light Screen the next time he uses Airburst."

"Pi!" (Right!)

A split-second later, Arceus snapped his fingers. **"Airburst."**

The mouse's tail glowed slightly, and the air shimmered.

WHUM!

The air rang with a sound like a giant muffled bell, but no shockwave hit Misty or her pokémon. The redhead grinned.

"Excellent. Pikachu, throw up a few more Light Screens, then start pulling in the clouds. Dragonite, start launching Ice Beams, keep him from countering us."

The next several attacks from the aspect found themselves diverted by more barely-visible walls of energy, followed immediately by a barrage of Ice Beams, forcing the aspect to dance backwards through the air. Overhead, dark clouds began to gather, and the hair on the back of Misty's neck stood up, as the atmosphere became charged with Pikachu's electricity.

* * *

><p>"<strong>Icy Wind!"<strong>

The Ice aspect blew towards Tayuminai, the sharp exhalation becoming a frigid gust, laden with ice crystals. Tayuminai coolly flew upward, then dove in around the attack, her wings glowing solid white.

**Wing Attack!**

The aspect was caught by surprise, as the Eevee swept past him, clipping him with one of her wings. The impact, though not very effective, was still strong enough to knock Arceus back several yards.

A moment later, Sorahime came roaring downward, a vortex of flames issuing from her open maw. The aspect involuntarily flinched away from the attack, covering his face. As a result, he missed the freefalling Taifuu, whose forepaws were glowing white.

"Floaaaaaaaaat. ZEL!" (Brick. BREAK!)

The Sea Weasel punched downward with all the force he could muster, gravity lending itself to the Fighting attack.

In what may be some of the most oft-used words in gaming literature, it was super-effective.

The aspect was struck on the right jaw, and his head whipped to the side, blood trailing from his mouth. He dropped nearly ninety feet, before finally stabilizing himself.

"**Ptuh," **Arceus spat blood out of his mouth, **"I did not see that coming."**

Taifuu landed neatly on Sorahime's back, smirking.

"**But you," **the aspect swept his arms outward in a grand gesture, like a _maestro_ about to conduct a symphony, **"Should be able to see this."**

At that moment, the air behind him stilled, and condensed into a world of ice. Countless spears, blades, moving statues of pokémon, and abstract shapes formed. All of them aimed at Satoshi's pokémon.

Taifuu's jaw dropped. Sorahime's pupils dilated. Tayuminai paled.

Arceus' arms swept forward, and the ice obeyed. It became a torrent of jagged, frigid edges, as if winter itself had stood up and begun walking.

Sorahime immediately began spewing great gouts of flame, but it was like a drop of water in an ocean. As the torrent of ice thundered closer, Taifuu crouched lower onto Sorahime's back, and both their bodies glowed white with Endure. Tayuminai's wings glowed, and summoned a flock of Hidden Power.

And then the ice was upon them. Sorahime and Tayuminai desperately wove through the storm of frozen death. Taifuu was spread-eagled against the Charizard's back, occasionally punching up a Protect when an ice construct approached Sorahime's blind spot too closely.

The reason for the Endure was fast revealing itself, as the smaller constructs began slipping through. Cuts from dagger-sized ice shards appeared on Sorahime and Taifuu, and Tayuminai was almost knocked out of the air by an ice Spearow that was nearly as big as she was. Flapping her wings, the Eevee entered a rapid climb, trying to find an escape from the deadly cloud of ice.

As she wove her way around a construct that looked remarkably like Sorahime, she spotted a small window of darker blue, nearly invisible against the blue-white of the ice.

Tayuminai's eyes narrowed, and she pushed her wings to their limits. A second later, she burst through into open sky, closely pursued by a swarm of smaller constructs. Undeterred, the Eevee summoned a flock of Hidden Power to counter the constructs, and continued to climb.

Higher and higher she flew, until she could feel the frigid chill digging its fingers into her fur. She snapped her wings out, and began circling. Her eyes glowed, and Aura began to coalesce around her like a shroud. Her wings folded back, streamlining against her body, and Tayuminai began to dive. As she accelerated downward, her Aura flared out behind her, pushing the little Eevee even faster towards the ocean far below, and giving her the appearance of a brilliant comet.

Arceus looked up, noticing a bright spot in the sky that grew steadily brighter. **"What is…?" **his eyes widened, picking out the image of the Eevee within the shroud of what looked like an overcharged Brave Bird. **"Oh."**

Tayuminai shot past the aspect, missing him by less than a foot, taking a brief moment to smirk at him.

**Chō-onsoku Kōka! **(Supersonic Drop)

The sonic shockwave struck the aspect at full force, and hit the cloud of ice a split second later. The cloud shattered into tiny particles, and was dispelled like a light fog in a wind. Arceus was hurled backwards, violently coughing up blood.

Tayuminai's wings flared out, and she pulled out of her dive a few yards short of hitting the ocean. Flapping quickly, the Eevee climbed, then evened out next to Sorahime. The great dragon and the Floatzel riding her were both cut and bleeding, but wore twin grins.

"**koff…gghk!" **Arceus tried to say something, but instead coughed up more blood. The aspect clutched his torso. **"It seems…I *koff* can't heal from this one." **As the aspect rasped out another breath, his arms and legs began to fade into nothingness.

"**Your trainer is ahead. I can no longer oppose you…This battle is your victory."**

With those words, the aspect faded away completely. Sorahime gave a satisfied snort, and all three pokémon grinned triumphantly.

**We did it! **The Eevee exclaimed, as she turned herself around. **Now let's go help Misty!**

But even before the Eevee started to move, her adoptive brother held up a paw.

"Zel." (No.)

Tayuminai's wings faltered for a moment, and she looked at the Floatzel in shock. **Wh-what? Why!?**

The Floatzel grinned ferally. "Floatzel zel zel?" (Can't you sense it?)

Cocking her head, Tayuminai closed her eyes. Moments later, her eyes flew open. **W-whoa…Pikachu is **_**that**__**strong**_**?!**

Taifuu nodded. "Floatzel zel zel float zel float float floatzel zel." (You don't even need Aura sensing to feel it.)

Sorahime smirked. "Charizard…charchar zard char." (As of now…Arceus has lost.)

* * *

><p>As another Airburst impacted against Pikachu's latest Light Screen, Misty felt the yellow mouse nudge her with his forepaw in a certain pattern. "Pi chupi." (It's ready.)<p>

The redhead held out an arm, the static in the air causing the hairs on her arm to stand on end. Pikachu scampered onto it, his cheeks throwing off involuntary sparks.

"Okay, Ryū, it's showtime. Get us as close as you can."

The dragon snorted an affirmative, then banked into an upward spiral, launching an overcharged Dragon Pulse at the same time.

The attack streaked towards the aspect, who casually slid to one side. Just as the attack passed by him, however, it detonated in a purple explosion. Arceus backpedaled out of the fireball, his eyes shut against the blast and the other sleeve of his suit burnt away.

"**Ugh…I should have expected that."**

The aspect opened his eyes, only for them to snap wide open.

From on high, Misty leapt off of her Dragonite's back. At the same time, the Pikachu was struck by a massive bolt of lightning from the clouds overhead, hypercharging his electric reserves. At the end of the electric pokémon's tail, a crackling, hissing sphere of pure electrical energy formed, growing to be nearly as large as Misty was tall. The redheaded trainer pointed at Arceus with the arm that wasn't occupied by her pokémon.

"Pikachu, MEGAVOLT!"

There was a moment of almost total stillness, as if Dialga had momentarily forgotten to do his job.

Then, Pikachu's attack surged forth from the sphere as a blinding stream of electricity, accompanied by an almighty searing scream as it tore through the air.

Arceus didn't even have time to blink. The great bolt struck dead-on, hitting him with the entirety of its destructive power.

After almost a full second, the stream cut off, as Pikachu dropped back onto Misty's shoulders, and the trainer landed nimbly on the back of her Dragonite. Even as she landed, she looked towards where the aspect had been struck by the attack.

There was nothing left, save for a few motes of ash, drifting slowly down toward the ocean.

With a touch, Misty directed Ryū towards Satoshi's pokémon, two of whom were already flying towards her.

'Wait, two?'

For a moment, Misty stared at the now-winged Tayuminai. In response, the Normal type (was she still a Normal type?) giggled childishly, flying a quick loop around the Dragonite.

**Jealous?** She teased, a grin stretching across her face.

The redheaded trainer blinked, then shrugged, an exasperated smile on her face. "Satoshi's Lucario can defy gravity, his Gardevoir can summon the Reverse World, his Charizard is the size of a small hill, and you can fly…" The trainer glanced at the Floatzel on the back of the aforementioned Charizard. "What do you do? Turn into a dragon?"

Taifuu simply grinned back. A beat later, Tayuminai banked sharply, flying westward toward the now-setting sun.

**Come on. Papa-san is waiting for us.**

Everyone's faces instantly sobered, and, as one, Sorahime and Ryū turned to follow the Eevee.

* * *

><p><em>II. The Attack Reel<em>

-Shima Gai, Seaside Promenade, Earlier-

It was a surreal picture. Two pokémon, practically oozing power, faced down two gods in human form. Hikaru found himself trembling, as the sheer presence of the opponents made itself known.

Without looking away from the avatars, Yugana spoke. **Hikaru-kun,** **Maple-san, Oak-san, Brock-san…withdraw.**

"No way!" Max burst out, "We're not going to just leave you two here to face Dialga and Palkia on your own!"

"Max is right. We don't abandon our friends when we could help–"

**You misunderstand us. **Hirumanai interrupted Brock's declaration, **We do not require your help for this battle. You would do better to evacuate the bystanders. This place will not be safe much longer.**

"What do you mean, you don't need help? These are _gods_. I mean, I know you're strong, but –"

**With all respect, **Yugana replied, **you have all seen us battle, but none of you have truly seen us **_**fight**_**. **

Gary's eyes widened. "What?"

**We have trained in the Kami-Kyoku no Yama for years. We have faced odds beyond anything you can imagine. Do you truly believe we are only as strong as you have seen? I make this statement without any hubris: We do not need your help. **

Max opened his mouth, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to look at Gary. The brown-haired researcher was staring at the two pokémon, his face serious.

"Understood. We'll get them away from here."

Yugana's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. **Arigato.**

At a nod from Gary, the other three retreated as well, albeit reluctantly.

Dialga smirked. **"Oi, oi, are ya sure ya'll should be tellin' them ta take off?"**

Hirumanai smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. **We will see about that.**

Next to him, Yugana's hands clasped again. **Banshō no Da ra ama: Bunri Chūya. **(Litany of All Creation: Separation of Day and Night)

A sound like a bell chime rang out, and as the echo reverberated, all the light seemed to flee from the area around Palkia and Dialga.

Dialga's startled voice came from the patch of total darkness. **"W-what th' hell's this?"**

Palkia sounded equally unnerved. **She's removed the light from around us!**

Hirumanai exploded forward, blue energy forming into claws around his fists. As he bounded into the cloud of black, he closed his eyes, reaching out with his Aura senses. In his mind's eye, the two avatars shone like stars given human shape.

He couldn't have asked for easier targets.

Dialga felt something move behind him, a split second before he was shoulder-checked hard enough to lift him off his feet. As the Master of Time flew through the air, he instinctively slowed time around himself, and flipped his knife out.

The Legendary heard the sound of a fist sailing through air, and smirked.

'Baka. All he'll end up doin's get caught in–'

Dialga's thoughts were interrupted by Hirumanai's fist smashing him in the face.

'Wha?'

The punch was followed by what felt like a rising kick to the chest, which propelled the Legendary up high enough that he cleared the patch of darkness. Hirumanai jumped up after him, firing a pair of Aura Spheres towards the deity. Dialga recovered with just enough time to project another time field, catching the attacks and slowing them down until they were barely moving.

Landing nimbly on the ground, Dialga slashed toward the descending Lucario, launching a bubble of frozen time at him. Hirumanai ignored the attack, instead simply charging up another Aura Sphere, this one twice as large as the previous orbs.

The bubble of time struck Hirumanai, but the Lucario stood steadfast, and then leapt forward as if nothing had happened. Dialga's jaw dropped, before he held up his knives defensively.

It proved futile, as Satoshi's pokémon passed through Dialga's time bubble, and slammed the Aura Sphere home as if it was a physical attack, shattering the knives, and sending Dialga skidding backwards.

The Temporal pokémon wiped soot from the attack off his face, and glared at the Lucario.

"**Oi, wha' the hell's goin' on here? I know I hit'm with a time stop."**

Palkia's calm voice answered him, as the field of darkness dissipated at a gesture from Yugana. **"Don't you remember? She placed some kind of technique on both him and herself. They're manifested across space-time."**

Yugana smiled slightly in response. **Well noticed, Palkia-san. Superdimensional Transposition manifests us as ourselves in normal space-time, regardless of the state of space-time around us.**

Hirumanai's claws faded, and the Lucario's fists were once again sheathed in blue flame. A second later, and the shroud of ethereal blue erupted from his shoulders and upper arms as well.

In response, Dialga reached into his jacket, and pulled out a massive _Zweihänder_ sword that gleamed dully in the evening light. Palkia's tantō emerged from her sleeve again, the edge glowing a soft pink. **"A gentlemon's match, then?"**

Yugana's eyes began glowing as well, suffused with a soft white light. **Indeed.**

For a beat, all four were motionless. Then, Hirumanai's image flickered, and faded. Dialga threw himself backwards in the same moment, just barely avoiding a blazing axe kick from the Lucario. Quick as lightning, the massive sword swung forward in retaliation. Hirumanai smoothly flowed around the blade, his left paw speeding forward to unload an Aura-charged punch to Dialga's solar plexus. At the last moment, though, the Master of Time's eyes shimmered, and a transparent shield appeared in front of him, taking the blow for him. One hand left the hilt of the _Zweihänder_, and stabbed forward, a classic rapier appeared mid-motion, lancing forward into the Lucario's chest.

Dialga smirked **"Feh. Easy."**

The smirk vanished a split second later as an Aura Sphere blasted into him from behind. Dialga stumbled a step forward, through the illusory Lucario he had just stabbed. The real Hirumanai didn't waste a moment, flickering in front of the reeling deity to deliver a vicious uppercut.

Dialga's head snapped up, and the legendary barely recovered in enough time to deflect a Vacuum Wave with his massive blade. The rapier vanished a moment later, replaced by a longsword. The _Zweihänder_ followed a moment later, replaced by a sturdy-looking heater shield.

The next attack from Hirumanai, a Flash Cannon, was absorbed by the shield, and Dialga swung the sword vertically at the charging Lucario. Mid-swing, the longsword erupted into flames, which were launched forward in an arc. Hirumanai leapt upward, dodging the fire. Undeterred, Dialga launched three more gouts of flame at the Aura pokémon. As he fell, Hirumanai countered two of the attacks with Water Pulses, and batted the third aside with a shield of Aura.

Dialga slashed upward a fourth time, even as Hirumanai's fist came down in a blue-white punch.

**Bullet Punch!**

"**Metal Slash!"**

The techniques met with a sound of clashing swords, and the energy blew Dialga back several yards, while Hirumanai cleanly landed in a combat stance in front of him. Less than an eyeblink later, and the two were locked in combat again.

* * *

><p>"You said Mewtwo appeared?"<p>

Janine nodded tightly, even as she led the Champions and the Sinnoh Elite Four to the ocean-side walk. Lance's brow furrowed.

"Most of the contact we have had with Mewtwo has been a result of actions taken by Team Rocket."

Cynthia grimaced, and the other members joined her. None of them wanted to contemplate a trainer as strong as Satoshi being allied with Team Rocket.

* * *

><p>Palkia and Yugana stood stock still, staring at each other. Yugana's eyes still glowed a soft white, while the deity of Space's eyes pulsed pale pink.<p>

Finally, Palkia's face twitched, and she broke eye contact, her eyes fading to their normal coloration. **"Impressive. I couldn't even find the slightest chink in your mental defenses."**

Yugana bowed her head gracefully, accepting the compliment. **You're too kind.**

The miko's eyes narrowed slightly, and her tantō glowed even brighter. **"Unfortunately, that means I now must fight you directly. It would have been so much less painful if you had just allowed me to put you to sleep."**

The Embrace pokémon's smile tightened. **I'm so sorry to inconvenience you. But you are still preventing me from reaching Satoshi-kun, and for that, I cannot allow you to go unpunished.**

The Gardevoir motioned with her left hand, and, as Mewtwo had before, spears of rock and earth ripped from the ground behind her. On her right hand, a Focus Blast spun into being, before dispersing into her arm, sheathing it in white light. A split second later, the spears lanced toward Palkia, who slashed horizontally with her tantō, with bright gems forming at regular intervals, before rocketing out to meet the spears of earth.

"**Power Gem."**

Simultaneously, Yugana vanished from existence, two of her reappearing on either side of Palkia, stabbing forward with glowing arms.

**Focus Stab.**

Palkia threw herself backwards, slicing through the false Gardevoir on the right, and met the real attack from the left with her tantō. In less than an eyeblink, Yugana was on the other side of the deity, and delivered a slap that sent Palkia sprawling into the dirt. Before she could take advantage of it though, the Mistress of Space's free hand glowed, and a sizzling Thunderbolt lanced toward the Gardevoir. The attack was followed by a blistering hail of attacks: Water Pulses, Flamethrowers, Shadow Balls, Dark Pulses, more Thunderbolts, Dragon Pulses and even a few Aura Spheres, as Palkia snapped back up to her feet faster than most people could even see.

Even as the attacks homed in on Yugana, she remained unperturbed. She swept an arm through the air, and a wave of Psychics, Thunderbolts, Magical Leaves, and Shadow Balls formed to counter the powerful onslaught.

Palkia's eyes narrowed, and doubled the number of attacks with a swipe of her blade, breaking through Yugana's wall of counterattacks, and throwing up a cloud of dust where the Gardevoir was standing.

The deity of space took three graceful steps forward, and swept her free hand sideways, clearing away the dust. Yugana had vanished, of course, and Palkia instantly spun in place, intercepting the glowing hand that lanced toward her back with her tantō, and then counterattacked with an explosion of earth beneath the Gardevoir. Before the Earth Power could even rise more than a few inches, though, an invisible force caught it and channeled it around the Gardevoir, and then slung it back towards the _miko_. Palkia, in turn, intercepted it with an overpowered Protect, which she then pushed forward, using the barrier as a battering ram to ram into the Embrace pokémon. Yugana conjured up her own barrier in response, and the two Protects sparked and crackled against each other for several seconds before simultaneously shattering.

Palkia blinked. **"You matched the power of my Protect? That's extremely impressive." **

Yugana did not respond, except for an overpowered Thunderbolt sparking off of her left hand, which Palkia casually deflected with her blade. Even as the stream of electricity reflected away from the miko, Yugana had already teleported inside Palkia's guard. Her fist flew forward, glowing with energy, and boosted with psychic force.

**HAAAH!**

Palkia's body folded around the blow, and she skidded gracelessly backwards, the tantō flying out of her limp fingers. In the next fraction of a second, the deity's motion was stopped, and Yugana was directly behind her. The Gardevoir had one hand on Palkia's shoulder, while the other, glowing white with power, was poised at the deity's throat.

* * *

><p>Hikaru gaped, as the promenade was illuminated by the sheer energy behind the attacks. Almost all of the unconscious bystanders and their pokémon had been moved (Gary's Alakazam was so convenient!), and Brock's Steelix had the last load of them on his back, while those that were capable of walking were moving as quickly as they could, so he and Max were watching the jaw-dropping battle. Max was even filming the battle with a Vs. Recorder<p>

"This is incredible…" the redhead breathed, eyes never leaving the blurs of motion that were Hirumanai and Dialga. "Just how strong are Satoshi's pokémon, to be able to fight gods to a standstill?"

Hirumanai met a downwards swing with a set of claws, locking Dialga's sword in place, then lashing out with the other forepaw. Dialga blocked with his shield, before shoving the Lucario away. Not giving him a chance to recover, the avatar of time went on the attack, slinging his sword forward, channeling the purple energy of a Dragon Claw into it. Hirumanai took the stab through the right shoulder, the blade piercing clean through to the other side.

Even then, the Lucario didn't flinch, instead grabbing the blade with his right paw, and punching Dialga in the face with the left. The deity lost his grip on the weapon, and flew backward, landing hard. He quickly kipped to his feet, conjuring a replacement sword, this one an oversized _kris_.

Hirumanai glared at Dialga for a moment, before gripping the sword with both paws, and, in one quick motion, pulled it out of his shoulder. There was a brief spray of blood, before the wound sealed itself with a flash of Aura. Hirumanai was still for a moment, then once again became a blur. The sword rocketed toward Dialga, who batted it aside with the shield. Even as the sword and shield struck each other, Hirumanai blurred in front of Dialga, spinning almost in slow-motion to deliver a back kick directly to the time deity's face. The force propelled Dialga up and over, in a limp parody of a backflip. He sprawled onto the ground, stunned. In a fraction of an eyeblink, the Lucario was crouched over him, a razor-sharp claw glowing with Aura held at his throat.

As one, Yugana and Hirumanai spoke.

**Yield.**

* * *

><p>"What the hell is going on here?!" Wallace managed, as the League members came over a low rise to see what looked like two humans being held hostage by Satoshi's pokémon.<p>

"Mewtwo and Satoshi fought, and then those two and a third person appeared. The third one somehow teleported away with Satoshi, and Misty Waterflower took off in pursuit. Then, Satoshi's pokémon attacked those two." Koga answered the Champion's exclamation as he dropped from a nearby tree.

"They attacked…?" All of Champions readied pokéballs, and the Elite Four followed suit.

"Just what is Satoshi up to?" Cynthia wondered aloud.

* * *

><p>It was a surreal scene, indeed. A fifteen-year-old boy and a twenty-one-year-old copy of him sitting next to each other on the side of a grassy hill, staring out at a lake so blue it could have been plucked from a storybook.<p>

Satoshi looked at Ash, a question on his face.

"So, what is this place, anyway?"

The younger man shrugged slightly. "It's a bit hard to explain, but we have time. First of all, you need to understand what happened six years ago on Mount Coronet, when I – we? – were hit by Palkia and Dialga's power. There was a reason Cyrus was trying to use them to create a new reality; aside from Arceus, the only pokémon of comparable power level to those two is Giratina. When we were caught in the beam, we were flung outside of space and time entirely. From what I understand, Arceus himself intervened, and pulled our body and soul back into our reality. The memories, unfortunately, didn't quite make the trip. Part of our soul, and pretty much all of our memories, became isolated in an eddy of space time. That part was me. I'm not really sure how long I floated around – time as we understand it doesn't really apply out there. Anyway, after a while, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf showed up, and told me what had happened. Azelf helped me create this," Ash gestured at the idyllic world around them, "with my willpower. Apparently, willpower is an actual force in the space between."

Satoshi frowned. "Wait, why didn't Arceus just bring you back as well?"

Ash shook his head. "Arceus set the world in motion, but even he has to be careful when making major changes. Uxie explained it with the metaphor of a top with a grain of sand sitting on it. The world is the top, and the grain of sand the one thing that needs to be changed. For Arceus to make the change would be like trying to move the grain of sand exactly three millimeters to the left without changing the motion of the top in the slightest. Arceus does not enjoy putting Creation at risk. Besides which, this little bubble of reality that we're in was almost immediately pushed away from our home reality by the currents of space-time. The reason Arceus had you sent here was because this was the first time the realities moved close enough for a mortal soul to cross from one to the other."

The older trainer cocked his head. "And that was…?"

"Yeah, what you went through. Fortunately for both of us, because you created the path on your way here, getting back will be much easier."

Satoshi blinked. "You know, you really are mature for a fifteen-year-old."

The trainer shook his head again. "Actually, it's more like six thousand and fifteen." At Satoshi's open-mouthed gape, he shrugged. " Like I said, time works a bit differently here. I probably would have gone insane if Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf hadn't stopped by occasionally. Celebi and Mew showed up a few times, too."

"Even Lady Mew…?"

Ash laughed. "Yes, even Mew. Seriously though, do you really have to act like that with every Legendary you meet?"

A tic mark appeared on the older trainer's head. "Hey, Aaron-sensei taught me that you should always show respect to the Legendaries." He raised a finger in accusation. "Besides, you show a complete lack of respect to every Legendary you've ever met! Arceus included! At least I have some digni-"

Satoshi stopped, his mouth hanging open. Ash looked away, his expression now serious. In the distance, the landscape had begun to dissolve into chaotic whiteness.

"So you've noticed it as well? The more time we spend in each other's presence, the more our memories start to blur together. You and I are two pieces of the same soul, and that soul is trying to reassemble itself. "

"So, are we going to - ?"

"Cease to exist? No. We're both Ash Ketchum, just different parts of the whole."

"So what will happen to this place?"

"This world exists only because my willpower maintains it. As our soul fragments merge again, this world will no longer have a need to exist. It was created from nothing, and now it returns to nothing."

Satoshi nodded, and stood. Ash climbed to his feet as well. The lake and nearby hills were vanishing now.

"You've been gone for – "

"Way too long. Time – "

"to go home."

The two of them faced each other. The patch of grass they were standing on was fading away, leaving them standing on nothing. Ash held out a hand. Satoshi extended his own hand.

They clasped hands.

* * *

><p>A bell tolled.<p>

* * *

><p>Arceus glanced over at the prone form of Satoshi. <strong>"It is done."<strong>

There was a moment of absolute stillness, and then a sound like tearing paper. A blinding blue-white beam of light burst from Satoshi's body, and lanced upward into the heavens.

* * *

><p>Less than a mile away, Misty, Pikachu, and Tayuminai all saw the beam, and felt a profound lightness and warmth in their hearts, as if their very souls were singing with joy. Without even intending to, all three of them whispered a name.<p>

**Papa-san…**

"Pikapi…"

"…Ash…"

* * *

><p>Yugana and Hirumanai's heads both snapped to the west, looking to the pillar of light, and felt the presence that had just returned to the world.<p>

**Master…**

**Satoshi-kun…no…Ash.**

Dialga and Palkia smiled slightly, despite the hands at their throats.

"**Complete…"**

"**Victory."**

In the next moment, faster than any human eye could track, both Legendaries seized their opponents' arms…and drove them into their throats. In a brilliant flash, they vanished, leaving behind a shocked pair of pokémon.

* * *

><p>Across the regions, the beam of light could be seen. Many people turned to look at it, wondering what it meant, but those who truly knew what the beam meant were not human at all.<p>

* * *

><p>In Ecruteak, the great bell atop Bell Tower tolled all on its own.<p>

* * *

><p>In an ancient forest of Johto, there was a single, clear chime, and the forest seemed to fill with life.<p>

* * *

><p>Floating in the warm oceans south of Hoenn, a vast palace shimmered into existence for a moment, and a delighted laugh echoed across the waves.<p>

* * *

><p>In the cold arctic, the ethereal colors of the Northern Lights danced across the skies.<p>

* * *

><p>In the night sky over Forina, a single light twinkled brightly.<p>

* * *

><p>In Altomare, a peal of laughter reverberated through the city. In the secret garden, the Soul Dew pulsed a bright blue, and the very waters of the city seemed to sparkle and dance in joy.<p>

* * *

><p>In the Kingdom of Rota, the crystals from the Tree of Beginning all shone a brilliant green.<p>

* * *

><p>In a field in northeastern Sinnoh, Gracidea flowers burst into bloom.<p>

* * *

><p>In Alamos town, the great tower suddenly began chiming <em>Oracion<em> without any assistance.

* * *

><p>In Michina, the Great Space-Time Axis righted itself for the first time in six years.<p>

* * *

><p>And in the heart of the Orange islands, an ancient shrine came to glowing life, and a hauntingly beautiful tune played across the waters.<p>

* * *

><p>In dark forests and thick jungles, remote islands and rocky wilderness, harsh wastelands and icy mountaintops, deep valleys and vast plains, they felt it. As one, fifty-seven different pokémon turned toward Sennichi no Shima, the same thought resounding in their heads and their hearts.<p>

**ASH!**

* * *

><p>Misty landed on the island, leaping off of her Dragonite, Tayuminai and Pikachu right behind her. She sprinted over to him, ignoring Arceus completely. The beam of light faded in the same moment, and he gently floated down to the ground, his eyes closed. The cloak he had been wearing had fallen away.<p>

A beat, and Ash Ketchum opened his eyes, and, for the first time in six years, embraced Misty Waterflower. Neither of them said anything aloud, nor did they have to.

'I missed you so much.' Misty's tightening arms whispered.

'I missed you too.' Ash's strong arms replied.

'Is it really you?' Her quiet sobs begged.

'Shhh, it's me. I'm here.' His gentle smile, which she could feel even without seeing it, answered.

After a short moment that lasted forever, the two took a step back. Ash's eyes flicked down, then slowly back up, as if drinking in the sight of the person who held his heart. Both of them smiled at each other, despite the tears pooling in Misty's eyes.

Pikachu and Tayuminai, having held themselves back from the reunion for as long as they could bear, leapt forward with delighted cries.

"P-pikapi!"

**Papa-san!**

Both pokémon landed on Ash's chest, embracing him, and being embraced in return. Pikachu half-sobbed, half-laughed, while Tayuminai simply buried her head against Ash's neck, her Aura pressing gently up against his.

* * *

><p>Cynthia and the others barely hesitated after the light died, dashing forward and releasing their pokémon. Janine and Koga flickered into motion, moving faster than most human eyes could track, reappearing behind Satoshi's pokémon, drawing blades from somewhere on their bodies.<p>

"Satoshi's pokémon," Lance began, channeling the full authority of his role as leader of the G-Men, "You are under arrest for assault of humans. Please come quietly, and you will not be harmed."

"WAIT!" came a younger voice, causing Lance to whirl around. Before any of the League members could stop him, Hikaru had sprinted past them, and placed himself between Lance and Satoshi's pokémon. "Satoshi's pokémon didn't attack anyone!"

"Who are – " Lance began, only to be cut off by Flint.

"What do you mean? We just saw them use some kind of attack on those two!"

"That's because those two weren't human." Gary replied, calmly moving behind Hikaru as well. Brock and Max followed suit, forming a human wall between the League members and Yugana and Hirumanai.

"Not…human?" questioned Aaron. "What are you talking about?"

"They had abilities no human could possibly have. We think they were avatars…of Dialga and Palkia."

Cynthia's jaw dropped. "What?"

Lance looked almost as shocked, but recovered quickly. "Regardless of what they were, we still do have questions about Satoshi that we need answered. Will you cooperate?"

Yugana and Hirumanai looked at each other, before turning back to Lance.

**Our apologies, but we are needed elsewhere.**

Hirumanai flickered from where he was to Yugana's side. The Gardevoir waved a hand, and a translucent sphere appeared around the two pokémon. The Embrace pokémon spared Hikaru, Max, Brock, and Gary a glance.

**Thank you.**

Then, she and Hirumanai vanished.

* * *

><p>Reluctantly, Ash released Pikachu and Tayuminai from his embrace, and glanced to his left. Sorahime had landed on the island, and Taifuu stood next to her, both of them giving their versions of smiles. A split second later, Hirumanai and Yugana appeared next to him, smiling as well. Misty finally spoke, returning his attention back to her.<p>

"Welcome home, Ash."

The trainer smiled. "I'm home."

* * *

><p><em>III. Jailbreak Rock<em>

-7:45 PM, North Sinnoh Sea-

Terminal Sentence was regarded as the highest-security prison in the world. It sat on a barren spur of rock, with sheer cliffs dropping a quarter of a mile into the ocean on every side. The only way to access the prison was by air, and the roof of the prison was heavily equipped with static cannons, along with the pokémon used by the guards. Below the surface, an advanced active sonar suite monitored the icy depths for miles in every direction. The sky was similarly watched by a powerful active radar array.

The prison itself was a fortress, with walls thick enough to take a high-powered Hyper Beam without worry. The cells were buried beneath the prison proper, sunk deep into the rock. There was only one entrance into the prison: a small, reinforced-steel door that guards used to access the roof. Prisoners, when they were delivered, were flown out to the prison and left on the roof, where they would be escorted below by the guards. Even if a prisoner managed to get out of their cell, there was no escape, save for a suicide dive into frigid, Sharpedo-infested waters, with no other land for miles. It was the perfect location for those individuals that, for both their own good and the good of the world, needed to be thrown into a hole and forgotten about. In all the time it had existed as a prison, there had been 347 escape attempts, and 53 rescue attempts. None had been successful.

Tonight, that would change.

37,000 feet above the prison, a matte-black aircraft cut quietly through the air. At precisely 7:46, the rear door of the aircraft opened, and 8 figures hurled themselves out into space. At the same time, pods beneath the aircraft's wings burst open, releasing hundreds of miniaturized pokéballs. Both pokéballs and humans fell silently toward the earth until, at some unseen signal, the humans all pressed a button on their suits. A split second later, the Rockets spread-eagled their bodies, opening up the flaps on their suits and all the pokéballs released their contents, spewing forth a murder of Murkrow. The humans all pressed another button on their suits, and then banked to the right. The flock of Murkrows followed, moving around, above, and below the wingsuited humans.

* * *

><p>In the Terminal Sentence command room, the woman at the radar station turned to her superior.<p>

"Sir? Large radar signature just entered our scope."

The guard captain of Terminal glanced over at another panel. "Thermal, we have anything?"

The technician glanced up. "Picking up a lot of warm bodies. By the shape, it looks like a flock of bird pokémon."

"Psychic?"

In a meditation room within the prison, an Alakazam closed its eyes, reaching out with its mind. A moment later, the Alakazam physically recoiled, and the psychic probe was rapidly withdrawn.

Back in the command room, the man nodded, receiving a mental report from the pokémon. "Large mass of Dark-types. Probably a murder of Murkrows."

"Can I get sound on them?"

"Activating long-range mikes."

A switch flicked, and sounds from outside filtered through a speaker.

"_Krow! Murkmurkrow! Murk!"_

"Alright, turn it off. Stand down the alert."

The room relaxed. They hadn't really expected an incursion – there were frequent flocks of migrant birds that used Terminal's roof as a stopover – but procedure was procedure.

"When they land, have a patrol check the roof."

* * *

><p>The Murkrows approached the prison, guided by the humans concealed within the flock. At 200 feet above the prison, the Rockets opened their parachutes, flaring them as widely as possible.<p>

Silent as ghosts, the black-clad operatives touched down amidst a flurry of equally black feathers. In less than two minutes, the chutes had been bundled into their packs, and the wingsuits had been removed.

Not a moment too soon. The door in the roof opened, and two guards, wearing winter parkas and carrying static rifles, emerged onto the roof. One was a native of Sootopolis, the other from Ever Grande City. Neither liked the cold, and both were due to rotate back home in two weeks. Their shift was ending in fifteen minutes, and they were counting the seconds. As a result, neither was on their guard, and they were totally unprepared for being jumped by a team of Rocket commandos. They were out cold in less than ten seconds, and the Rockets took the keycards out of their pockets. Two Rockets remained behind, while the remaining six opened the door, rushing into the prison.

Once inside, they split up by pairs. One pair took the first left, moving toward the command room. The second pair continued straight down the corridor, then took a sharp right, and darted down the staircase to the generators. The last pair went down a flight of stairs, sprinted down a hallway, made a left, and stopped at a pair of thick, heavy doors.

In the command room, a technician started from his chair in front of the camera banks. "Sir, we have intruders in the prison!"

The captain turned to another station. "Sound the alert! Lock down the cells, and send an alert to the station!"

The operator nodded, but before he could comply, the door to the command center burst open, and the two commandos came in firing. The first electric blast caught the captain and the technician he had just spoken to in the chests, and they went down, twitching. Without even a moment's hesitation, the shooters turned to the other technicians and guards, none of which even had a chance to draw their sidearms. In twenty seconds, every member of the staff was stunned or paralyzed. One of the Rockets started checking the staff, making sure none of them were playing possum. The other walked up to the nearest computer console, and pressed a pokéball to the data port.

There was a flash of light, and a Porygon-2 materialized on the screen. The Rocket addressed his pokémon. "Transmit the signal. Lock down the guard quarters, turn on the landing lights, open the doors to the cell blocks."

The artificial pokémon chirped an affirmative. Seconds later, the doors to the guard quarters sealed shut, and the heavy doors leading to the cell blocks opened. The last pair of commandos slipped through, and descended to the deepest level of the cellblocks.

* * *

><p>The aircraft which deployed the Rockets, which had been descending just outside of the prison's radar coverage, received the radio signal from the prison, and began its approach. On the roof, lights set into the rooftop, normally used to guide delivery pokémon and helicopters in, switched on.<p>

* * *

><p>In the prison, one of the Rockets in the command room spoke into a radio. "Kill the power."<p>

In the generator room, the two commandos nodded to each other, then released a pokémon each.

"Voltorb, use Shock Wave on the generator."

"You too, Magnemite."

The Electric types obeyed, hitting the humming power plant with pulses of electricity. The generator threw of sparks, then shuddered and died. The prison was plunged into darkness for five seconds before the emergency lights kicked in, bathing the halls in red-orange light.

* * *

><p>In the depths of the prison, the last two commandos reached their destination. With the main power out, the only thing securing the door shut were the deadbolts. One commando placed a charge against the door. Two seconds later, it detonated, blowing through the deadbolts. The door swung open.<p>

Within the cell, a man with long, matted hair looked up at the entrance.

The commando stepped into the cell, and grabbed the prisoner from where he was sitting on the bunk.

"Come on, we don't have any time to lose."

The prisoner followed, a mix of surprise and suspicion on his face. They exited the cell, and the two Rocket commandos picked up the pace, running down the block to the stairs.

"This is the Retrieval team. We have the target, and are moving to the extract."

The other commando squads answered. "Power team, on our way to the extract."

"Command Room team, on our way to the extract."

"Extract team, aircraft is inbound."

On the roof, the Rocket VTOL aircraft slowed as it approached the landing lights. From the underside, a red beam shot out, and the Murkrows it struck dissolved. Seconds later, the black airframe touched down. The Command Room team was the first onto the roof, and went straight into the open door. They were followed by the Power team, and a minute later, by the Retrieval team and the prisoner.

Once the prisoner was strapped into his seat, the Extract team jumped onboard as well, and shut the door even as the aircraft took off.

On the plane, one of the Retrieval team members took off the balaclava covering her orange hair, and turned to the man she had just freed from prison.

"As you may have guessed, we are members of Team Rocket."

The man nodded, his expression dispassionate. "Of course you were. My employees were never as efficient as your organization." His gaze intensified, and he affixed the young Rocket operative with a soul-piercing stare.

"So, why did you free me?"

Bonnie stared right back, unperturbed. "We have a common enemy." Her brother produced a series of files, eight in total.

"Misty Waterflower, Gary Oak, Brock of Pewter, Max and May Maple, Dawn Berlitz, Silph Hikaru, and an unknown trainer called Satoshi."

The man flipped open the file on Misty Waterflower, and his face split into a wide smile.

"Yes, I think I will like doing business with you."

Bonnie nodded. "First though, I think you should get cleaned up. Six years in solitary didn't do your looks much good."

The blue-haired man nodded, and laid his head back, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"It's time for Cyrus to make his grand reappearance."

* * *

><p><strong>DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!<strong>

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, mainly because it really wanted to be written. On the Legendaries that appear in this chapter: For those of you who noticed it, yes, yes I did make that Expy. **

**Arceus' aspects and the battles against them were actually a little difficult. Air-to-air combat is always harder because it's true three-dimensional maneuvering. On the other hand, giving Tayu-chan wings was something I planned to do ever since I introduced her as a character. **

**Megavolt is, of course, yet another shameless theft from the Pokémon Adventures Manga. Because it is listed as being "ten times the strength of a normal Thunderbolt". Just going by power numbers, Thunderbolt has a normal strength of 95, and 142.5 with STAB. Multiply by ten, and that's a strength level of 1425. How can you not want that?**

**Dialga's weapons: if you want more info on heater shields and arming swords, Wikipedia. A **_**kris**_** is one of those cool wavy blades.**

**Ash is back! In black! (I've been waiting to use that one.) There will be much awesomeness present! How did I do with the re-awakening scene? Too much?**

**The prison break scene was fun, if a bit short. And Cyrus being freed is B-A-D (For the heroes, not for the plot) So, be honest. How many of you expected that? There was a little hint two chapters back with "Nebula Protocol". Nebulas are the birthplaces of stars. Stars can be found in galaxies. Make sense? No?**

**Before I leave you guys in peace, two more things:  
>First and foremost, major shout out to Wolverinejoe and his story <strong>_**The True Champion**_**. If you haven't read it yet, go read it. He makes my writing quality look like a third-grader's. He also updates more often than I do.**

**Second, as of this chapter's posting, we have broken the 100 Review Barrier! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! THANK YOU ALL SOSOSOSOSOSOOOOOO MUCH! AND NOT ONE OF THEM A FLAME! You wouldn't believe how happy I was when the notification of that review popped up in my inbox! Next stop, 200!  
>Seriously, though, thank you. All of you. You have no idea how happy those reviews make me and Baroness-chan.<strong>

**Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of **_**SkyeTalk**_**. **_**SkyeTalk**_** is sponsored by Twinkies (What few of them are left), slow APCS classes, and reviewers like you (hint hint). Thank you!**

**Ja ne!**


	9. Movement Eight: Hello Helloand Goodbye

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. One day, however, I will find a way to cross-breed electric eels and mice, and genetically engineer a Pikachu. And then I will own a Pokémon.

Movement 08- Hello Hello…and Goodbye

Main Theme: Life is Like a Boat by Rie Fu

Ash's Theme: Trainer Red Theme (Epic Orchestral Remix)

Delia's Theme: Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) by Nancy Sinatra

Cyrus' Theme: Akatsuki Theme by Takanashi Yasuharu [Naruto Shippuden OST]

* * *

><p>-Iron Island, Sinnoh Region-<p>

Riley squinted as the light of the setting sun blazed into his eyes; spending days in the stygian darkness of the deep caves of Iron Island was wonderful for training his Aura senses, but it was awful when he finally emerged. It was why he tried to come up at night. But when that massive pulse of Aura had resonated through the island, he had immediately started towards the surface.

Returning to his house near the dock, Riley booted up his computer.

"Huh. A message from Cynthia? Isn't she busy with the Tournament on Sennichi?"

He clicked on the message. It was short, no more than two minutes, but the moment it ended, the Aura user was out of his chair and running out the door, pokéballs in hand. Reaching the edge of the cliff near his house, he threw one of the pokéballs out into open air.

"Skarmory!"

He landed nimbly on the metal bird, and placed his hand on its neck to steady himself.

"South, girl. And hurry."

* * *

><p>-Island off the Coast of Sennichi no Shima-<p>

"Let me get this straight," Misty began, her voice quietly lethal, "You appear out of nowhere, kidnap Ash, leave Dialga and Palkia to fight his pokémon, create copies of yourself to delay us, then fling Ash's soul into the timestream in order to retrieve the part of his soul that got stuck there six years ago, risking the total destruction of the part that was Satoshi in the process, and you think _it turned out fine?_"

Ash and his pokémon all watched with awe as Arceus, the Original One, Prime Mover, and Creator of All cowered before Misty Waterflower. Hirumanai's face was blank, but his eyes betrayed his amazement. Tayuminai, Sorahime and Taifuu were gaping. Ash and Pikachu were trying not to laugh. Yugana was taking notes.

"**In my defense," **Arceus replied, **"I had no idea if you would believe me, and–"**

"LIKE HELL YOU DIDN'T! YOU'RE ARCEUS, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE OMNISCIENT!"

Misty's Aura flared, and Ash's eyebrows arched. "Whoa."

"I AM _THIS _CLOSE TO HAVING PIKACHU MEGAVOLT YOU UNTIL YOU CAN'T MOVE, THEN TEACHING A ROCKSLIDE OF GOLEMS TO RIVERDANCE ON YOUR TWITCHING BODY! THEN I'LL CHAIN YOU TO MOUNT SILVER AND PRACTICE ACUPUNCTURE WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER, YOU STUPID WHITE-HAIRED PRETTY BOY EXCUSE FOR A DEITY!"

The redhead's hand drew backward, Aura wisping off her bare skin like steam. There was a pause, and then the hand rocketed forward like a Bullet Punch, wrapped in a sheath of furious blue.

Arceus took the punch directly in the face without flinching, which would have been admirable if the blow wasn't strong enough to lift the white-haired avatar and hurl him into the nearest rock.

"…**Ow…"**

Pikachu snickered. Hirumanai looked horrified.

**Did Waterflower-san just punch out Arceus-dono?**

"Zel. Zelfloatzel." (Yes. Yes she did.)

Yugana's eyes took on an admiring gleam, even as the redhead stalked over to the dazed deity, and yanked him to his feet by the front of his shirt, her arm already drawn back to deliver another punishing blow.

Ash took a single step, and blurred to Misty's side, gently catching the Cerulean native's wrist, ignoring the blue flames that sprang up around the point of contact.

"Misty…I think once was enough."

Her glare snapped over to meet his eyes, staring at him for a long moment before nodding tightly, and releasing the deity. Arceus caught himself before he fell, and pressed a hand to his bleeding lip.

"**I suppose I deserved that."**

Misty looked as if she wanted to punch him again, but Ash stepped forward, and offered a bow to the god.

"My thanks, Arceus-sama. I owe you a debt."

Arceus shook his head firmly. **"It is I who owes you a debt I cannot so easily repay, Ash. You were willing to give your own life – indeed your very existence – to save this world."**

Ash scratched the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his face. "It…was nothing."

Misty slapped him lightly on the head. There was a flash of blue flame with the impact. "Your soul was ripped in two, idiot. That's not nothing."

Arceus chuckled lightly, even as Ash apologized to Misty. **"You two are the most amusing couple I have seen in many years."**

"We're not a – " Misty cut herself off when Ash raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, maybe we are."

**Finally! **Chimed a childish voice from behind them. **And it only took his death, your seclusion, and six years of separation for you to admit it!**

Misty and Ash spun to see a mile-wide grin attached to a large pair of bright, baby-blue eyes.

**Hiya! **Giggled Mew, as she bounced in midair only inches from their faces. **Glad to see you're all back together again, Ashy!**

Both humans took a step back from the energetic Legendary. Mew only floated forward again, this time darting around Ash, poking at him with one of her forelimbs.

**I've only seen two others who ended up in the timestream and came back. And they didn't have their souls split in two. Hmmm…interesting. Six thousand years on one side, and six on the other, so the two halves were able to harmonize again. **

Misty's eyes narrowed. "Wait, so you could have done this only a year after Ash…went away?"

Arceus answered for Mew, who was now tugging at Ash's cheeks, much to the displeasure of the Pallet Town native. **"You have to understand something about us, Misty. Even gods must play by the rules they create. Not physical laws, but the laws that dictate the fabric of reality. To violate those laws that we created is not only hypocrisy of the highest nature, it is anathema to our very being."**

The redhead was quiet, absorbing and turning over what Arceus was telling her. The Legendary continued.

"**When Ash was propelled into space-time, he was surrounded and shot through with Dialga and Palkia's energies. We managed to retrieve part of his soul and his body, but the larger portion of his soul, and most of the memories, were out of our reach by then. In fact, we wouldn't have been able to retrieve the rest of him now, if not for every other member of the Hall holding his dimension in place long enough for Satoshi to get there. By the way, you owe Mewtwo a thank you. He worked hardest of all. I'm fairly certain he collapsed from exhaustion the moment you came back here."**

**Yep! Otouto-kun's sleeping right now. He got reeeeeal tired from holding that dimension in place. **

Ash blinked. "O-otouto-kun?"

**Well, yeah. Two-kun and I share genes, but calling me his mother makes me feel **_**oooooold**_**. He's a partial clone, so he's my little brother!**

Ash and Misty stared at the Legendary, who was wearing a grin a mile wide. Arceus shook his head.

"**Sometimes even I don't understand you, Mew…"**

Mew stuck her tongue out at the Alpha pokémon. **Being understood is booooooooring. Unless you're Arcy, that is. No one gets him, and he's **_**still **_**boring.**

"**Mew…"**

**What? You are! The only ones who are worse are the Regis! And that's just 'cause they talk **_**reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally**_** slow.**

Arceus' face fell, and he faced away from them, a black cloud hanging over his head.

"**I'm not boring…am I?"**

Mew floated over and cheerfully patted the depressed deity on the back.

**It's okay, Arcy! We still love you!**

"You know," Ash whispered to Misty, "Every moment I spend in conversation with these Legendaries, the more my image of them is tarnished."

Misty laughed, for what felt like the first time in eons, and hugged Ash's arm.

**Master? **Hirumanai sounded equal parts unnerved and awed.

"Ah?"

**Your Auras are showing.**

"What do you – oh."

It was absolutely true. Ash and Misty were enveloped in a pillar of blue fire that surged upwards. Startled, Misty released her grip on Ash's arm. With a dull _fwump_, the flames almost instantly died. Ash's eyebrows furrowed.

"Hmmm…Misty, take my hand."

The redhead took the proffered hand. The moment they touched, blue flames sprang up around them. The blue glow reflected in Ash's eyes, as he considered Misty's hand clasped in his.

"Aura Resonance…"

**I can't say I'm surprised. **Yugana sounded wryly amused. **You two just seem to fit.**

Both trainers blushed, much to the enjoyment of their pokémon.

"Oh, quiet you two." His cheeks still red, Ash returned the laughing Taifuu and Sorahime to their pokéballs.

**So childish…** Yugana scolded her trainer, a humorous glint in her eyes.

Ash stuck out his tongue. Misty giggled.

"The more things change…"

Ash's head whipped around to give the redhead a look of the utmost betrayal. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Mew and Pikachu both snickered, and Misty gave Ash a tight hug, valiantly ignoring the pillar of flame that once again burst into existence around them.

"Nothing…I'm just glad you're back."

The two humans shared a smile.

"Pika Pikachupi…pi pika chu pichu…"

Now it was Misty's turn to bristle defensively. "I am not being clingy!"

Mew giggled. **Misty, you've hardly let go of Ash since he came back.**

The redhead thought about it for a second, then nodded firmly. "And I'm not letting him go anytime soon."

The pillar of azure fire doubled in height and width. Mew stared at the conflagration for a moment.

**You know, that really is a moment-killer.**

Yugana nodded sagely.

**Yes, just imagine how awkward it would be if they held hands or kissed in a restaurant. The fire department would probably kick them out of town after a day or two of reports of people spontaneously combusting.**

Pikachu and Tayuminai snickered. Misty gave Ash an inquisitive look.

"What's Aura Resonance?"

Hirumanai answered.

"Everyone's Aura has a unique signature, a 'frequency', if you will. Each signature is essentially the definition of you, from your transient thoughts to the slightest vibration in your body's base matter. Does that make sense?"

Misty nodded, and the pokémon continued.

"Sometimes, two people have Auras that complement each other perfectly. Their Auras harmonize, and build strength from each other. That's what seems to be happening with you two."

The redheaded trainer spoke up. "Like yin and yang?"

**Precisely. **Yugana smiled brightly at her.

"So how do we keep…" Misty gestured at the vibrant blue flames that surrounded both her and Ash, "This from happening, then?"

Mew scrunched her face in thought. **Hmmmmm… No idea!**

All present except for Arceus facefaulted.

"What do you mean, you don't know!?" Misty exclaimed, picking herself up off the ground.

Mew giggled at the redhead's expression. **Exactly that. The last time I saw Aura Resonance between humans was, ooooh, eight hundred years ago, and neither of them was even remotely as strong as Ash is. Or you, for that matter. They only showed resonance when they were…ahem…making love.**

Misty and Ash both flushed a deep red, and Tayuminai cocked her head.

**Papa-san? What is making love?**

The black-haired trainer's eyes widened. "W-well, you see, Tayu-chan, making love is…um…when…" He threw a glance to Yugana, both his eyes and his Aura carrying his unspoken message.

**Help!**

The Gardevoir came to her trainer's rescue. **You'll find out when you're older, Tayu-chan.**

**Awww.** The blue-eyed Eevee pouted, her wings drooping slightly. **I want to know **_**now**_**. **

**No. **Hirumanai's voice was completely flat.

"_Anywaaaay_," Misty changed the subject, "If Mew doesn't know how to fix it, what are we supposed to do?"

Ash thought for a moment, then turned to Misty, his face serious. "Misty, I want to try something. Can you close your eyes for a second?"

The Cerulean native obeyed, and felt Ash place his hands on her shoulders. All at once, an incredible feeling of relaxation flowed into her, like she was stepping into a hot spring.

"Breathe deeply," his voice was calm and restrained, sounding more like Satoshi than Ash. "Focus inward. I want you to find your Aura for me. Feel for the light, way, way down in your soul."

Misty stilled her breathing, as she had many times before when she and Sabrina had tried to unlock her Psychic potential. As before, she felt herself falling inwards, into the warm waters of her soul. Relaxing even further, she let herself sink deeper, until, just a little farther down, she felt…something. It wasn't quite heat, but that was the closest thing that she could relate it to.

'This must be it.'

The redhead moved closer to the non-heat, and then recoiled as the water around her became bitterly cold. With the cold came a hollow loneliness that was achingly familiar. It was the same loneliness and despair that she had wrapped around herself on Mount Silver.

Then, from far away, she heard Ash's voice.

"It's okay, Misty. I'm here."

With the voice came a great _sensation_. It was, all at once, brilliant, deafening, and blazing hot with passion.

It was so…_Ash._

And Misty felt herself smile fondly, even as the cold water fled, to be replaced by water that was so warm it was like bathing in a sun-soaked tide pool.

And then she was there.

Now that she was right next to it, Misty could see the not-heat clearly. It seemed no bigger than a clenched fist, and looked (as much as a sensation could look like something) like an ever-crashing tsunami trapped within a glass ball. There was a single crack in the ball, and from it, a geyser of water-heat-light spewed outward.

"I figured as much." Ash sounded both pleased and amused. "Water alignment,through and through."

Then, the _sensation_ that was Ash reached toward the ball…and then shattered it. All at once, the tsunami rushed out in every direction.

Misty's eyes snapped open, and a wave of Aura erupted from her.

Ash stumbled backward at the rush of energy, which felt like a wave of warm water splashing against his skin. Unlike his own Aura, which arced across his body like the electricity he favored, Misty's flowed off her shoulders and pooled on the ground around her, swirling and eddying in midair.

"Whoa…" The redhead looked down at the sea-blue Aura swirling around her arms. Then she glanced over at Ash, and caught her breath.

She could _see_. Not just with her eyes, although everything she looked at was a thousand times sharper, but with her heart. She could see Ash's emotions in exquisite detail – a humility-tempered inward confidence, mixed with a steely determination and the lightning-bright passion that she had recognized before. Strands of light branched outward from the black-haired trainer, wrapping around the others there. Pale gold lines of respect wound towards Mew and Arceus, while multicolored lines of affection-loyalty-fondness-belonging branched out to the other pokémon. Most obvious to her, though, was the vibrant red strand that wound from Ash's chest to hers, laden with surprise and pride laced through a staggering amount of commitment-attraction-devotion-_love_.

Overwhelmed by the sheer emotion that she perceived, Misty closed her eyes. Instead of hiding the brilliant display of light, though, it expanded it. The lines she could see extended out in every direction, converging at bright spots of light in the distance that had to be other people. It was like a thousand Ariados had woven a decade's worth of collective web-spinning together, then set it on fire.

It was almost blinding…and it was beautiful beyond words.

"-sty? Misty? Are you in there?"

Misty's eyes opened again to Ash's mildly concerned face.

"You okay, Mist? You looked like you zoned out for a bit."

The Cerulean native caught her breath. "Y-yeah. It's just…how do you deal with seeing everyone's emotions all the time?"

Recognition bloomed in Ash's eyes. "Ah. I can't see them. My Aura is a bit too…aggressive to sense emotions. According to Sensei, even when someone fully masters their Aura, there will always be one skill that they cannot fully master. They can improve it, push their own limits further, but they'll never reach the potential of someone whose weakness is not in that skill. Mine is the ability to clearly see emotions. I can get a general idea of a person's most dominant emotion, but besides that…" He shrugged. "Now, we've released your Aura, so the next step is for you to consciously limit it yourself. This should keep it from leaking out and causing Resonance with mine."

She nodded. "How do I do that?"

Ash was quiet for a moment, silently regarding the energy that flowed and dripped off of the former Gym Leader.

"Your Aura is like water, so maybe…it feels like a spring, right?"

Misty focused inward, and regarded the sea blue-green not-water that flowed from the middle of her being.

"Yeah."

"When you let it flow down, it leaves your body, right? Imagine that underneath the spring is a great black void. All the water is flowing down into that void, and you can't use it once it's gone. Fix that in your mind, okay? Down is escaping."

Misty nodded.

"Now, instead of allowing all that water to flow down into the black, make it flow upwards."

She took a deep breath, and then, gently, began guiding one of the rivulets of Aura upward, until it flowed skyward like an impossible waterfall in miniature. Then, she turned her attention to another stream of not-water, only for the first one to collapse back down into the rest of the escaping Aura.

Again and again she tried to hold up the Aura, but the moment she lost focus on any stream of it, that stream would immediately start to escape again.

'What am I doing wrong?'

Misty stopped her attempts for a moment, and simply regarded the wellspring of her power with exasperation. Then, rolling up her metaphorical sleeves, she _seized _all the not-water at once, and then forced it upward. Even as it reached vertical, small rivulets began to escape.

'Not _this _time!'

With a forceful exertion of will, Misty took hold of the upward waterfall, and twisted it, until it formed a vortex of spiraling energy.

Hesitantly, she released her hold on the energy, expecting it to start escaping again. Instead, it simply continued to gyrate upwards in the waterspout she had created.

Misty's eyes opened again, even though she wasn't sure when she had closed them. The world was once again devoid of the web of light.

Ash was grinning from ear to ear.

"Not bad, Misty. Not bad at all."

She looked down at herself, watching the last of the Aura drain away into her skin. Her vision began to swim, and she felt lightheaded.

"Oh, good…it…stopped." She managed, before her legs buckled, and she collapsed.

She felt Ash's arms catch her, and managed to give her boyfriend a weak grin, before she finally surrendered to unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>-Elsewhere-<p>

As night fell over Sennichi no Shima, the late evening Nincada buzz gave way to Kricketunes serenading each other in the deep brush, and the thick forests of the island filled with the sound of the musical Bug types.

There was part of the forest, however, that was quiet. All the pokémon that had lived there had fled, or been captured.

The last light of the sun slipped below the horizon, and a low rumbling filled the oppressive silence. In the side of one of the cliffs that dotted the forest, a section of rock slowly slid back into the cliff, leaving a gaping black void.

There was a dull whining sound, and then a black shape shot out of the gap, before diving to skim just above the treetops. Within minutes, the sleek jet was over the dark ocean.

Within the jet, Giovanni sat quietly, his brow furrowed in thought. One of the pilots turned to look at his boss.

"Destination, sir?"

Giovanni was quiet for a moment.

"Set course for southwestern Kanto."

* * *

><p>-The Next Morning, Lance's Residence, Sennichi no Shima-<p>

"So, what do we know?" Lance laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them, his mouth a thin, serious line.

Roxanne cleared her throat, and passed out thin files to everyone at the table.

"This is all the pertinent information we have on Satoshi, last name unknown."

Steven opened the folder, and quirked an eyebrow. "These are mostly pictures."

The Rustboro Leader flushed slightly. "W-well, yes, there is a distinct lack of information, mostly due to the reclusive nature of the subject and his fairly recent emergence into competition. The majority of these pictures have been obtained by… female enthusiasts."

Brawly rolled his eyes. "Fangirls, you mean."

"Er…yes."

Wattson and Surge both snickered.

"_Anyway_," Cynthia brought them back on topic, and received a grateful look from the scholar. "We know from what Gary Oak and Brock of Pewter told us that Satoshi comes from the Kami-Kyoku no Yama. This, of course, could be false, but it is the only piece of information we have about his origins. Satoshi has also stated that his master who tutored him in using Aura lives in those mountains as well."

Wallace frowned. "To have a home in such a place…small wonder that Satoshi is so incredibly strong."

Lance grunted in agreement. "We know that he and his pokémon are incredibly skilled combatants, and they have demonstrated skills that we have never seen before."

The Dragon Master clicked a button on a remote, and screen on one of the walls clicked on.

"His Lucario, which goes by the name of Hirumanai, has extremely high power, to the point where he was able to counter Flint's student with relative ease."

The afro-haired redhead winced. "Yeah, he got really cocky once he figured out that attack. I kept telling him it was a desperation move, but…" he shrugged apologetically.

"He has demonstrated the ability to float in midair, beyond the ability of Magnet Rise, and also use the air as a solid surface. He, like his master, is also incredibly fast."

The images and battle video of the Lucario were replaced with the image of a blue and white Gardevoir.

"His Gardevoir, Yugana, is of comparable strength. She isstrong enough to overwhelm type disadvantage, and has a strange set of abilities, which include the ability to remove all light from an area, and the ability to project the Reverse World into this world. Somewhat unusually for a Gardevoir, she also possesses the ability to fight hand-to-hand, using Focus Blast stored in her hands."

Another click, and the screen was shared by images of a massive Charizard and an apparently normal Floatzel.

"His Charizard Sorahime and his Floatzel Taifuu are also both enormously powerful, and skilled in their own fields of combat. Of note are the Charizard's incredible airborne agility despite her size, and the Floatzel's ability to pull massive amounts of water up from underneath solid rock."

The images changed again, this time displaying a small, blue-eyed Eevee.

"Tayuminai, Satoshi's newest pokémon and the last member of his team, was apparently hatched only a few days ago at most. Despite this, she is an incredibly powerful battler, and was able to overcome the type advantage of a vastly more experienced and powerful opponent. According to Satoshi, she is actually capable of using Aura, which he attributes to him hatching her.

"There is information that lends this theory credence. Eevees are known to have unstable genetic structures. It is why they are able to evolve into forms for virtually every environment. It is possible that Satoshi's powerful ability with Aura influenced her development even before she hatched. However, lacking information on Aura, this is still just a theory, and is dependent, once again, on Satoshi's word only."

Finally, the screen changed to a recording Koga had made of the battle between Satoshi and Mewtwo. The master of the Koga ninja clan took over from his superior.

"For those of you who have not been briefed on Mewtwo, please remember that everything being spoken in this room is classified." Koga cast a glance at Maylene, Flannery, and Whitney.

"Mewtwo is an artificial pokémon who was created by Team Rocket, and subsequently escaped their control. Aside from his involvement in the Mount Quena Incident, Mewtwo has only been sighted a few times, all of them near places that were subsequently revealed to be Team Rocket bases after mysterious explosions. We believe he still nurses a grudge against Team Rocket. Earlier today, Mewtwo attacked Satoshi, apparently without provocation. The two battled, both of them exhibiting advanced abilities, well beyond anything we have seen before. This also provided us with further information as to the extent of Satoshi's combat skills, which surpass anything any one of us are capable of."

Several Leaders, including all of the Fighting specialists, whistled appreciatively at the attacks that Satoshi and Mewtwo flung at each other.

"The battle between the two only ended with the appearance of these three figures, which are, according to accounts from both Brock and Gary, apparently avatars of Arceus, Palkia, and Dialga."

Whitney frowned. "I know who Arceus is, but Dialga and Palkia?"

Cynthia opened her mouth to answer, but was beaten to the punch by Pryce. "Palkia, the God of Space. Dialga, the Master of Time. They are, at least in the legends of Sinnoh, believed to be the of the first generation of Arceus' children. They are of a far higher level of power than even most of their brethren, and are not only believed to ensure the stability of their domains, as other Legendaries do, but have absolute control over them."

Cynthia stared at the Mahogany Leader, who shrugged. "I was…quite obsessed with the manipulation of space and time when I was younger. It was a difficult time for me, and if it hadn't been for Samuel and Agatha..." He sighed, and shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. I've moved past it."

Agatha gave her old friend a sympathetic look.

"Regardless of whether or not these three were indeed avatars, what we do have are the facts. The white-haired one, who was able to stop both Satoshi and Mewtwo with his bare hands disappeared with Satoshi, and Miss Waterflower took off on her Dragonite in pursuit. Following that, Satoshi's Gardevoir and Lucario engaged the other two in combat and apparently defeated them. Then…" Koga looked unsure. "That beam appeared out to the west. After reviewing the Vs. Recorder footage from Max Maple, we concluded that the two supposed avatars of Dialga and Palkia actually forced their opponents to deliver the finishing blows, but then vanished in a flash of light. We," Koga gestured to the Champions and Cynthia's subordinates, "confronted the pokémon, believing at the time that they were attacking humans. We were, fortunately, stopped by Silph Hikaru, along with the other three. I do not relish the idea of battling pokémon as strong as those two are. Shortly thereafter, both of Satoshi's pokémon teleported away."

Erika frowned. "And that's it."

Cynthia nodded. "So, our current goal is to gather more information on Satoshi, but I doubt he'll be willing to share, especially considering our attitude towards his pokémon." She gave Lance an annoyed look.

The Johto champion looked uncomfortable. "Sorry."

"So, we need to gather information on him…without him being suspicious of it…" Janine frowned. "Father and I could both continue to watch him…"

Her father shook his head. "That's only useful when we want to observe him. We need more solid information. There's also no guarantee that we wouldn't be detected, especially with one Psychic and three Aura users. The only way I see is to get the information Satoshi himself."

Morty frowned. "Sabrina, maybe you could try to pull information from his mind?"

The Saffron Leader shook her head. "I could, but his Gardevoir would notice almost immediately, even if he didn't."

"So, what you're saying," summarized Bruno, his face concerned, "Is that we need to speak to Satoshi to find out anything of further use."

Koga nodded. "Yes, that's correct."

Flannery pounded her fist in excitement. "I've got it! We'll disguise ourselves and ask him questions then! He won't have any idea that it's us!"

Volkner gave her a deadpan stare. "No."

Wallace sighed. "The idea does have some merit, but I doubt that even the dumbest trainer would trust a complete stranger who shows up and starts asking questions. Especially if that stranger looks familiar."

* * *

><p>Across the world, several people sneezed.<p>

* * *

><p>Fantina, who had been looking more and more annoyed as the conversation carried on, finally threw up her hands.<p>

"_Mon Dieu_! It is like none of you have a brain in your heads! If we cannot approach him in disguise, we shall approach him while he is disguise!"

Maylene cocked her head in confusion. She wasn't alone. "Isn't he in disguise already? With the dark cloak and all?"

Fantina shook her head. "You still do not _comprendre!_ If you need to hide a tree, you use a forest; if you wish to hide a disguise…"

Erika's eyes widened in comprehension. "You put everyone in disguise!"

The Ghost Leader from Hearthome beamed. "_Exactement!_"

Brawly rubbed his forehead. "Can you please just tell us what it is you're talking about?"

Fantina's smile only grew. "We shall have…_un bal masque!_"

The impassioned declaration was met with blank stares from most of the male Leaders, and several of the younger females. Cynthia looked pensive for a moment.

"A masquerade ball…that might work, actually."

Surge's jaw dropped. He wasn't alone, either.

Candice nodded, eyes closed in thought. "Yes, Satoshi would be much less suspicious of disguise if everyone is wearing one."

Erika smiled brightly, and, ignoring the protests of most of the males in the room, spoke up. "I second this motion."

Cynthia's smile matched the Celadon Leader's. "The motion has been moved and seconded, are there any objections?"

There was a few seconds of flabbergasted stammering, which Cynthia cut off with a raised hand.

"The motion passes. I recommend that the ball be made mandatory for all competitors, and be held in two weeks' time, which should be sufficient for Fantina to finish preparations. Will that be sufficient?"

The Hearthome leader nodded. "_Naturellement, ma cherie!_"

"Then we are adjourned. Lance, would you be so kind as to notify Mr. Goodshow of our plans?"

The Johto Champion sighed, and patted a shell-shocked Bruno on the shoulder. "Sure."

Gradually, the room emptied, with Surge leading the charge to the nearest bar, until only Lance was left. He punched a button on the room's control panel, and made the call to the head of the Pokémon League. After a few minutes, the bearded man appeared on the screen.

"Lance! How are you, my boy?"

The Dragon Master nodded respectfully. "Sir. I thought I should give you a briefing on the Satoshi situation."

The man's face turned serious. "Go on."

Lance spent the next several minutes giving the President all the information that had been reviewed during the briefing.

"We agreed on a method to possibly obtain more information on Satoshi. I have forwarded you the relevant information."

Mr. Goodshow reached offscreen to retrieve a sheet of paper. "Yes, I just received it."

His eyes skimmed over the paper, and a confused expression appeared on his face. He looked from the paper to Lance, then back at the paper, then back at Lance.

"So, let me get this straight," he began awkwardly, "You, Lance of Blackthorn City, want me to throw a...?"

"Masquerade Ball, yes," answered the Dragon Master, his face completely deadpan.

"Erm…was this your…"

Lance shook his head. "It was Fantina's idea. She'll also be in charge of organizing it."

The President nodded, his expression sympathetic. "Please pass my condolences to the boys."

Lance's mouth quirked up in a half-grin. "Yes sir."

Mr. Goodshow shut off the transmission, leaving Lance with a screen bearing the League symbol. The Dragon Master sighed, and left the room.

"I need a drink."

* * *

><p>-Kanto Region-<p>

The black jet set down in the woods, and Giovanni stepped out, his Persian following closely behind. The pilots made to follow, but stopped when the Rocket Boss held up a hand.

"I'm going alone. I have some unfinished business here."

The dark-haired man strode through the woods until he came to a road, and then followed the road for several minutes. Finally, he crested a rise, and stopped.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Persian?"

The cat _mrowled_ in agreement, and followed his master down the hill, leaving the sign for Pallet Town behind.

* * *

><p>It was a very peaceful place; the hill was gentle and grassy, overlooking the meadows and lake of the Oak Ranch. A few trees provided roost and shelter for tired Pidgey, and shade for the lone visitor who sat quietly in the grass. She did not look up at the sound of quiet footsteps in the grass, nor did she turn when a shadow fell on the ground beside her. Instead, she quietly traced her fingers over the inscription on the grave.<p>

Her son's empty grave.

"This was his favorite place when he was a child," she began, her voice soft and calm, "He would sit up in the branches of the tree and watch the pokémon at the lake. Sometimes, one or another of the older pokémon would come and sit with him, and he'd fall asleep next to them. I never worried, though. I always knew where he was, and how to find him. But now…he is beyond where I can ever find him to call him home for dinner. He's never going to come bursting in the door covered in dirt and mud and talking about the adventures he had with pokémon."

Delia took a deep, steadying breath. "I cannot begrudge him that. Ash always was headstrong, and so committed to doing what he thought was right. When he was young, he would bring injured pokémon he found in the woods to Professor Oak, even if he got scratched up while he was carrying them. I can remember the last time I said goodbye to him, a few days before…well. If I had known then what he was going to be getting into when he said he was going up Mount Coronet for a while, I might have tried to stop him. But, I didn't, and I couldn't. So, instead, I come here. Even if I know he's not actually here…I feel like he's a little bit closer."

She stood up, brushing a few blades of grass from her skirt. "I'm sorry, I've been a rather rude host, haven't I? Would you like some tea, Giovanni?"

Saying nothing, the Rocket Boss nodded, and followed her down the hill.

* * *

><p>The Ketchum house was quiet, the only sound being the ticking of the Hoothoot clock in the living room.<p>

Delia Ketchum was as quiet as her house, as she met his stare evenly, with no visible emotion in her eyes. Giovanni suppressed the urge to fidget – this woman was the only female besides his mother that could inspire such a reaction in him. For entirely different reasons.

The kettle whistled, and Delia gracefully picked it off the stove and poured the hot water into the cups, then offered one to him. He accepted it with a grateful half-bow; there was no sense in being rude, especially with this person.

The brown-haired woman poured herself a cup, then sat back on the couch.

"So…why are you here, Giovanni? After all these years, you finally find me?"

"I knew six years ago. Your picture appeared on television after the…incident on Mount Coronet. I recognized you right away. You've barely changed since I last saw you." A note of what might have been nostalgia tinged his voice.

"You know very well why that is." Delia's voice was still soft, but there was admonishment in it as well.

Giovanni inclined his head. "Yes. One of our few successful experiments in human enhancement. We never were able to replicate it, though."

Delia was silent for a moment. "It became hereditary."

"Your son?"

"He hit ten years, and the aging almost stopped. He probably would have hit another period of rapid maturing within a few years. At least, I think he would have. You were always the better scientist between us."

Giovanni chuckled slightly. "And you the better Trainer."

"Oh my, it's been so long since I've had a decent battle. I'm afraid I've fallen out of practice."

"Don't fib. A Trainer of your level never truly loses their skill."

"Nor a scientist their knowledge. You knew it would be hereditary."

"I suspected."

"Was that why we began seeing each other?"

The air chilled slightly. "Was that why you left?"

"Giovanni…we are not good people. You know that. We have both done terrible things in life. I could not bring myself to force that wickedness on an innocent child, no matter his lineage. I sought sanctuary with Oak, and he granted it without a second thought. I met Charles a week after I came here to Pallet. We were married within a few months, and then Ash was born."

"Samuel Oak…the Pillar of the East. No wonder I wasn't able to find you." The Rocket Boss chuckled humorlessly, then gave her another stare. "Did you ever tell him?"

"That Charles was not his father? No. How could I ever explain to him that his real father was one of the greatest criminals Kanto has ever known? I dreaded the day that he went on his journey, when I heard that you had become Viridian Gym Leader."

A pained expression flashed across Giovanni's face. "Delia…I did love you. It…it wasn't because of…of that."

She smiled fondly. "And I loved you as well, Giovanni. But I knew that once you knew about him, you would claim him. And I didn't want that for him."

"But look where that ended!" Giovanni exploded, "He died on Mount Coronet because of Team Galactic's schemes! At least…at least if you had stayed, he would have been safe."

Delia's eyes narrowed. "Safe? Constantly scheming to earn more money, always having to watch his back so no one stuck a knife in it? That's no sort of life at all."

"Better an unforgiving life than a soft one being coddled. You and I were both products of that life, and we are all the stronger for it."

"No one deserves such a life, Giovanni. When we have it thrust on us it is one thing, but to force it on others is a monstrosity of the highest order."

"One of Team Rocket's best field agents preaching on right and wrong; how hypocritical!"

"I think it is the hypocrites who know the truth more than any other."

"Hmph."

The tension in the room grew to a breaking point, and the two of them locked eyes.

"_Persian, use Quick Attack!"_

_The tan cat blurred forward, claws extended toward Delia. Just as quickly, the brunette spun away, her left hand snatching up the still-hot teakettle and flinging the boiling water at the pokémon. A pained yowl was the answer, and the enraged cat turned nimbly and leapt for her throat, claws glowing in preparation for a Slash._

_Delia's response was a graceful duck, and then an impossibly fast grab that caught the startled cat by the throat, and then hurled the cat through the glass center of the low table. The sound of shattering glass covered up the light thuds of Delia's feet as she darted at Giovanni, her hand spearing towards his neck._

_The Rocket Boss's left hand came up, intercepting and deflecting the lethally fast spear hand strike, and was followed by a straight punch that Delia's free hand deflected and caught. With a grunt of effort, Giovanni hurled her through the thin wall into the kitchen, scattering drywall and wood onto the floor. Delia was on her feet in moments, her hand finding a knife lying on the counter. A split second later, and she was again on the attack, the knife whirling and slashing in a barely-visible blur. A flash of dull steel, and a line of blood traced across Giovanni's face. He backpedaled, and snatched up a wooden chair to use as a defense. The brunette's knife buried itself deeply into the wood of the chair, and the Rocket Boss twisted the chair, tearing the knife out of Delia's grip, then swung the chair like a great bludgeon. _

_Delia dove underneath the blow, then pivoted to kick Giovanni's legs out from underneath him. The larger man suppressed a groan of pain from landing on the broken glass, but didn't get a chance to get up before Delia was behind him, twining her arm around his throat. The lack of oxygen made Giovanni's vision swim, but he was rescued a moment later by the timely reappearance of his bleeding Persian, who pounced on Delia with an enraged yowl. She released her grip around his throat, and instead grabbed at the cat's throat, ignoring the razor sharp claws that bit into her arms._

_The kick from Giovanni hit her in the ribs, and hurled her into the couch. She kept her grip on the pokémon, though, and with a quick twist and a dull _snap_¸ the Persian slumped bonelessly in her grip. A crunch of glass, and Delia rolled away from the knife-like shard of glass that tore into the upholstery. Seizing the table lamp next to the couch, she deflected the next shard of glass that the Rocket Boss hurled, then responded by slinging the lamp at him. The porcelain base shattered against Giovanni's arm, but it gave her enough time to dart over to the chair and snatch up the knife. She whirled to face the Rocket Boss, to see him yanking an ugly-looking combat knife from beneath his jacket. _

_The two of them inched close to each other, knives at the ready. Their eyes locked._

Giovanni broke eye contact, sighing, and set the empty teacup down on the table. "So, you will not come back with me."

It wasn't a question. Delia smiled in response, her expression just slightly tinged with sadness.

"I'm sorry."

The Rocket Boss shook his head, standing. "I understand, Delia. I truly didn't expect you to. But at least…now I can move forward without hesitation."

He opened the door, his Persian slinking out before him. "I hope we see each other again."

"Goodbye, Giovanni."

There was nothing more said, as the Rocket Boss quietly shut the door behind him, leaving Delia alone once again in her empty house.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm baaaaa-aaaaaaaaaaack!~<strong>

**Finally! For the longest time, my Muse turned her nose up at this chapter, and it sat on my computer, with a measly 1000 words. Then, just as I worked up steam: AP exam prep and the exams. It **_**murdered**_** my free time. **_**Murdered**_**. **

**Okay, enough with the excuses. I'm sorry, everyone. Please forgive this author his faults.**

**The year's almost done, and I managed to get the chapter written in a matter of a couple weeks. Wow. Truthfully, I'm not happy with the first part of this chapter. Lots of dialogue, not enough action. But it was necessary for the plot. Next chapter might have some events in the intervening two weeks, but will probably move on straight into the ball. I've been planning to bring in this plot element since movement **_**two, **_**so I'm very pleased that it will finally happen.**

**There are a couple easter eggs in this chapter, especially from the Manga. See if you can spot 'em. **

**Delia's backstory is based heavily on two of my favorite movies. It should be fairly obvious to those who've seen it. But yes, I did make her an absolute badass. A retired badass, much like we know Oak is, but a badass. And the revelation of the chapter is a much-beloved fanon favorite: Ash's father. Honestly, I probably hinted at it too much in previous chapters, but if you were surprised, please let me know in a review. (See what I did there?)**

**Many thanks to Wolverinejoe, who was understanding of my Muse's fickle nature, and got me working on the chapter again. Hopefully it won't take…Oh, Arceus above, six months for me to update again. If I do, know that Baroness-chan has probably killed me.**

"**You're damn right, nii-san!"**

**My blood type is Review-positive. I need donations, please.**

**Ja ne!**


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